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State seeks liberal grant for maintenance of capital assets
CAT stays transfer order of IT officer
Another bridge over Ghaggar closed
NH-10 reopens to traffic after 20 hrs
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Plan for Sainik school fails to take off
13 yrs on, prospective science masters await results
Man held for raping schoolgirl, illegal confinement
Missing girl’s parents beat up son-in-law
Mumbai Firing
Over Rs 7 lakh looted from bank
Over Rs 29 lakh stolen
Murder case filed after 2 yrs
Kidney Scam High Court
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State seeks liberal grant for maintenance of capital assets
Chandigarh, July 17 He also urged the commission to recommend liberal grant for the proper maintenance of capital assets of the state, estimated to cost Rs 5,385.92 crore. The Chief Minister made these demands during his meeting with the commission chairman Vijay L.Kelkar here today. Hooda said the government had assessed its maintenance requirements for irrigation works, roads, buildings and water supply schemes. He pointed out that the 12th Finance Commission had assessed the maintenance requirement of the state, but meagre grants were recommended for the maintenance of roads and public buildings. The Chief Minister drew Kelkar’s attention towards the reduction of the state's share in central taxes from 1.238 per cent to 1.075 per cent, which is down by over 13 per cent on the recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission. Hooda pointed out that now Haryana was in the mid-course of the 11th Five Year Plan, but had been finding it difficult to implement its socio-economic programmes without adequate support from the Central government. He, therefore, urged the commission to appreciate Haryana's initiative and recommend the expansion of the divisible pool of taxes from the existing level of 30.5 per cent to 50. At the same time, he suggested modification in the composition, contents and coverage of the existing distributive criteria of tax sharing. He suggested that population should be the main criterion to determine the real financial needs of the states. He suggested a weightage of 50 per cent to population as per the census of 2001 while adding that 15 per cent weightage could be given to distance and weightage of 10 per cent each should be accorded to fiscal discipline and tax efforts and 5 per cent each to social indicators of area and contribution towards central taxes. The CM opined that instead of bringing in a constitutional amendment, 50 per cent of the service tax being collected from the states should be flatly devolved to the states concerned without any distributive formula. He pointed out that there was also a need for greater devolution of funds to local bodies, as the gap of revenue of local bodies was widening due to increased demand for civic amenities. Earlier, Haryana finance minister Birender Singh said the state had achieved almost all milestones under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act well in advance of the target year 2008-09. Meanwhile, the 13th Finance Commission complimented Haryana for its growth and revenue performance and appreciated its implementation of the state Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act and successful implementation of VAT. Vijay L.Kelkar highlighted issues emerging from the memorandum presented to the commission by the government, including the growth of public expenditure, need to focus on social sector expenditure, effectively managing the adverse sex ratio, improving productivity of public spending. |
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CAT stays transfer order of IT officer
Chandigarh, July 17 Interestingly, the applicant, who has alleged sour relations with his wife, stated that he was being transferred due to her strong political background. Ved Prakash, fed up with three transfers, had appealed before the tribunal. Prakash stated that he had dispute with his wife because of which several cases were pending in courts. He alleged that the brother of his wife’s father is an active member of the ruling political party, resulting in his transfer time and again. The applicant was married to his wife - Sunita - on October 17, 1994. He stated in the application that a few years after the marriage, Sunita started pressurising him to live separately. Accepting the request of his wife, he asserted that he got himself transferred from Rohtak to Panipat in 1996. Prakash claimed that in his absence, his wife used to fight with the neighbours and even beat them up. He added that on March 9, 1999, the family of his wife came to his residence in Panipat. The applicant complained them of his wife’s misbehaviour. Prakash alleged that instead of persuading their daughter, his wife’s family thrashed him. He added he didn’t take the matter to the police though he got his medical examination done. Prakash’s wife left him on November 1, 1999. He stated that Sunita’s family started troubling him further and asked him not to attend his wife’s wedding. Later, he entered into a compromise on November 15, 1999. Thereafter, the applicant was transferred to Panipat, where he started living with his wife and children. He claimed that his wife again started blackmailing him to shift his residence to Panipat even though he had no relative there. Subsequently, the applicant alleged that he was physically assaulted on September 23, 2007. Prakash reported the matter to the police and an FIR for assault was registered on September 25, 2007. The applicant was then transferred from Gurgaon to Hisar on May 1, 2008. His wife complained against her husband under the Domestic Violence Act, 2004. Prakash rued that he was again transferred from Hisar to Fatehbad on May 9 and then from Fatehbad to Panchkula on June 5, 2008, and sought stay on the transfer. |
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Another bridge over Ghaggar closed
Fatehabad, July 17 The bridge situated on the Tohana-Moonak road links Tohana town with Punjab and vehicles going towards Chandigarh pass over this bridge. The bridge, which falls in the Punjab territory, has been under repairs for long. However, drivers have not stopped using the bridge. Erosion of earth from both sides of the dilapidated bridge has made it risky for users. Sensing danger, the authorities have now closed it for traffic and the police has been deployed on the bridge to send back vehicles approaching it. Traffic from Fatehabad and Tohana heading for Chandigarh is now being diverted through Makrod and Phoolad towards Moonak. According to residents, the works on the bridge started one and a half years back. The contractor, who initiated the work, left it midway. Ever since, the construction work had been hanging fire resulting in a lot of inconvenience to people. The authorities had banned the traffic on the bridge when the construction work had started, but resumed it slowly. The traffic had to pass through a narrow unprepared road surrounded by deep chasms on both sides before approaching the narrow and ramshackle bridge. After the bridge over the Ghaggar river in Ratia caved in on Tuesday, the authorities from Moonak in Punjab visited this bridge to take the stock of the situation. Seeing the condition of the bridge, they have decided to ban even two-wheelers to pass over the bridge. |
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NH-10 reopens to traffic after 20 hrs
Rohtak, July 17 Villagers protesting against the failure of the police in tracing a missing buffalo bull had blocked the road yesterday. The traffic had to be diverted through link roads during the jam. The protesting villagers lifted the blockade following the assurance from the Meham SDM that the personnel posted at the Meham police station would be transferred, the missing buffalo bull case would be investigated by the DSP of their choice and the villagers detained and the tractor impounded by the police would be released. Earlier, the villagers blocked the NH 10 throughout the night by placing felled trees on the road. Meham SDM Manish Nagpal, accompanied by other officials, reached the road blockade site this morning to persuade the villagers to clear the road for smooth flow of vehicular traffic. The protesters then put forward the aforesaid demands, which the SDM assured, would be fulfilled. Following the assurance by the SDM, the villagers lifted the blockade around noon and the NH 10 reopened for vehicular traffic. |
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7 killed in road accidents
Fatehabad, July 17 Sources said Sandip Singh Sodhi, officer of the agriculture department in Ganganagar, and his wife Ritu, a lecturer, had left for Delhi from Ganganagar on a car around midnight yesterday. When their vehicle reached Dhangar village, a bull suddenly collided with a canter coming from the opposite direction. The impact of the collision was such that the bull was flung in the air, following which it fell on the car. Meanwhile, the canter driver lost control over his vehicle. The canter overturned and collided with the car. Sondhi (35), Ritu (32), car driver and canter cleaner Mohinder (25) died on the spot. The highway police reached there after about an hour of the accident and extricated the bodies with the help of villagers. The driver of the canter, Gurmeet Singh, was also critically injured in the accident. He has been referred to Agroha for treatment. SIRSA: Three persons were killed when the driver of the car they were travelling in lost control over the vehicle at a turn on the NH-10 between Sahuwala and Paniwala Mota villages on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Prithvi Singh (60), Shankar Lal (65) and driver Ravinder Kumar. All were residents of Fatehabad district. According to the police, they were on their way to Lakhasar (Rajasthan) from Fatehabad. Prithvi and Shanker died on the spot while the driver succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital. |
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Plan for Sainik school fails to take off
New Delhi, July 17 The scheduled foundation stone-laying ceremony was deferred, as the requisite forest clearance had not been obtained. Defence minister A.K. Antony, along with his two junior ministers Rao Inderjit Singh and M.M.Pallam Raju besides Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were to be present at the foundation stone-laying ceremony at Rewari on July 5. This had to be cancelled at the last minute to avoid any controversy, said sources in the ministry. The Haryana Government had now sought time for a month to obtain the requisite clearances from a special committee before a ceremony is conducted to launch a Sainik school in Haryana. The controversy arose after the conservator of forests Gurgaon allowed permission to fell 115 trees to make way for the Sainik school. However, he added the rider that the permission is for felling trees, whereas a separate permission is required if the land is to be used for non-forestry purposes. A committee formed under the guidance of the Supreme Court gives these permissions. The trees are spread across 1.5 acres and permissions are normally given after the government gives a guarantee to plant as many trees as were felled. With Antony having a non-controversial image, the defence authorities backed out of the foundation stone-laying ceremony. Now it has been made clear to the Haryana Government that the Sainik school will come up only if all clearances were in place. The Sainik school in the area, which sends a sizeable number of youth to the defence forces, is seen a major achievement. Ministry officials said it is up to Haryana to speed up matters. |
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13 yrs on, prospective science masters await results
Chandigarh, July 17 Nearly 13 years have lapsed since it opened the chapter of recruiting teachers by issuing advertisements and holding interviews. It is yet to be closed. The results have not been declared even after all these years. No wonder, for Naresh Kumar of Bhiwani and other similarly situated candidates, the wait is endless. They had applied for the post of science master in Haryana on the basis of an advertisement issued in January 1995, and again in November 1996. Though the interviews were held, the candidates have been waiting for the results to be declared, which they believe are being withheld by the authorities concerned under political pressure. Their petition seeking directions to the state of Haryana, the director (secondary education), the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and another respondent was to come up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday. But, the case could not make headway as the relevant file was unavailable before the court concerned. The matter is now scheduled to come up for further hearing before Justice Rajive Bhalla of the High Court on July 23. In their petition, Naresh Kumar and 27 other petitioners had earlier contended that the result was not declared initially due to the stay orders passed by the HC. But the situation had changed since long. As such, directions should be issued to the respondents to declare the results. Going into the background of the matter, the petitioners had contended that the commission on January 22, 1995 advertised 73 posts of science master. Subsequently on November 7, 1996, another advertisement for additional 521 posts was issued. Taking up a civil writ petition filed in the matter by some other party, the HC passed an interim order directing against the finalisation of the result without the permission of the court. That petition was, however, dismissed by the HC on March 30, 2000. As such, with the path clear for the appointments, a delegation of the candidates met the commission with the request for declaration of results. But even after the lapse of over a decade, the commission has not declared the results, they argued. The candidates, in their petition, claimed that the commission was not declaring the result, even though there was no valid reason to withhold the same. Giving details, the petitioners added the commission was not going ahead with the results as it was under the pressure of the government. |
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Man held for raping schoolgirl, illegal confinement
Rewari, July 17 Two married sisters Krishna Yadav and Saroj Yadav, cousins of the accused Pradeep Yadav and some residents of Uttam Nagar colony allegedly colluded with him in keeping the girl in prolonged confinement. According to the startling revelation made by the 15-year-old victim in her complaint lodged with the police here, she was also “supplied” by the two alleged manipulators Krishna and Saroj to a constable at Rohtak who, too, allegedly raped the girl. The identification parade of the said constable by the victim was going on in camera in the office of a senior police official here at the time of filing of this report. On a complaint of the victim, the police has registered a case of rape, prolonged wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy under Sections 376, 344, 506, 120-B of the IPC against the accused Pradeep Yadav of Dhawana village, Krishna Yadav, Saroj Yadav and Har Pal. The girl was medically examined at the Civil Hospital here today. This appalling story of sexual exploitation of the minor girl reportedly began some five months ago when the girl was allegedly held hostage forcibly by the accused Pradeep in collusion with his cousins. Pradeep also craftily entered into wedlock with the girl to the utter dismay and helplessness of the girl’s father Sat Narain Yadav, who is a daily wage-earner and lives in the vicinity of the accused here. The hapless father also reportedly approached the high-ups here for relief and justice, but nothing concrete emerged. However, some 10 days ago, the girl somehow managed to get out of the stranglehold of the accused. She reached Katkai village, near Ateli, 35 km from here, and narrated her woeful tale to her brother-in-law Ranjit Singh Yadav, husband of her elder sister. He reportedly took up cudgels against the accused and sent complaints to inspector-general of police, Gurgaon, as well as the superintendent of police, Rewari. Consequently, the police has now swung into action, leading to the arrest of the main accused Pradeep Yadav. |
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Missing girl’s parents beat up son-in-law
Yamunanagar, July 17 Gurbachan Singh alleged that his daughter Kulwinder Kaur was missing since July 4, but his son-in-law Ravinder did not inform him or other members of his family about this in time. Later when we came to know about it, we lodged a complaint in this regard on July 10 in the police station, Gurachan Singh added. He rued that so far neither the police had been able to trace his daughter nor her husband Ravinder had been questioned in this regard. That was the reason they brought Ravinder Singh from his house to the police station. The SHO city police station, Piara Singh, said the police today questioned Ravinder Singh, who is posted in Leh and is on vacation here till September. Ravinder told us that his wife Kulwinder Kaur had left house on July 4 and taken Rs 3000 with her. Ravinder also expressed ignorance about his wife’s whereabouts. We have been investigating whether any foul play was involved in Kulwinder Kaur’s disappearance, he added. |
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Mumbai Firing
Sirsa, July 17 The team comprised inspector Anil Prafule and head constable Sunil
Nayak. They collected the details of the weapon, whose licence was issued from here in 1992 and constantly renewed as per the law. They also verified antecedents of Jagdev Singh of Kalyan
Nagar, who was one of the persons arrested after the incident. The police said for further investigation they would visit
Sangrur, Tarn Taran and Chandigarh. Later,they went to the Fatehabad. Earlier, the team visited the headquarters of the dera
here. FATEHABAD: A police party from Mumbai on Thursday visited the office of deputy commissioner
O.P. Sheoran here in connection with the verification of the Arms licence of a Dera Sacha Sauda
follower. Sohan Lal, a resident of Kukranwali village here, was reportedly in the convoy of the dera chief, when he went to Mumbai last month and a Sikh was allegedly killed by a security guard of the dera chief. The Mumbai police gathered information about the licence of the weapon that was recovered from Sohan Lal on that day. The licence was found valid, said the deputy commissioner. |
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Over Rs 7 lakh looted from bank
Bhiwani, July 17 The youths decamped with the booty on a motorcycle. The police has intensified the hunt to nab the culprits. The youths entered the bank about 12.40 pm and reportedly forced bank employees to stand at a side using a revolver. They looted Rs 4 lakh from the cashier’s box and Rs 3.50 lakh form another room and ran away with the booty. Bank employees immediately informed the police and bank manager J.S. Kalher. DSP Ram Kishan Sharma took stock of the situation. He immediately directed the police to put nakas around the village but the youths managed to escape. The police has lifted the fingerprints from the bank and registered statements of the employees. |
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Over Rs 29 lakh stolen
Sonepat, July 17 Manager of the college Rakesh Kuchhal lodged a complaint here today and the police is investigating the case. Sources said administrative officer Devender Chaudhary had kept Rs 29,12,231 in a briefcase and placed it in a drawer of a table at his residence. In the morning, he found that the lock on the main entrance door was broken and the briefcase was missing. |
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Murder case filed after 2 yrs
Rewari, July 17 The police after holding an inquest under Section 174 of the CrPC had then disposed of the case terming it as an accidental death. After the police received the report of the chemical examination of Gupta’s viscera from Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban, recently, it sought the advice of doctors of the PGIMS, Rohtak. The PGIMS doctors reportedly opined that the man was strangled to death. |
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Kidney Scam
Ambala, July 17 Dr Amit and other accused in the kidney scam are lodged in the Ambala central jail for the past three months. The counsel of the doctor had informed the court yesterday that a gangster had threatened his client in the jail and a notorious gang had also demanded ransom from him. The counsel had also filed an application with the superintendent of the Ambala central jail. The superintendent of the jail said he had received an application from the counsel of Dr Amit, in which he had requested to change his barracks. He said the other accused in the kidney scam had also been provided sufficient security in the jail. It could not be confirmed whether the jail authorities had registered a case against the prisoner who had demanded ransom from Dr Amit. |
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High Court Chandigarh, July 17 The petitioners, S.S. Yadav and 24 others, had been living in the apartment since 2004. They had moved the high court against Haryana chief secretary, deputy commissioner, Faridabad, the Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, and collector-cum-estate officer of HUDA. They prayed for directions to the authorities concerned not to demolish the Flora apartments, saying they were bonafide purchaser of the apartments, constructed by Malik and Associates. The petition will come up for resumed hearing on September 1.
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