Faridabad/Palwal, August 15
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the occasion of the Independence Day today announced that sites of industrial units falling under Faridabad and Ballabhgarh, parts of the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, would be allowed for commercial use.

Industrialists can use the sites commercially by completing the formalities of the change of land use.

The beneficiaries will be largely from areas falling along National Higway-2 (Delhi-Mathura) from Badarpur near Delhi border to Jharsetli near Ballabhgarh as a large number of industrial units exist there. Sectors 32, 35, 36 (industrial sectors), 27-A and 27-B will be the biggest gainers.

Hooda said the move was guided by his government’s commitment to restore the earlier glory of Faridabad.

He asserted that his government’s efforts to bring back Faridabad on the national map would soon bring the city at par with Gurgaon and Noida.

The fee money collected from the change of land use from industrial to commercial would be invested in infrastructure growth of Faridabad zone, he added.

Addressing a public meeting, Hooda announced that the state government would implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in the state on the pattern of the Central government.

He said a committee headed by the chief secretary had been constituted to study all aspects on the issue.

Hoisting the Tricolour in Palwal, the 21st district of the state, which came into being recently, Hooda said in order to boost industrialisation in Hodal, Hasanpur and Palwal tehsils, they had been declared as industrially backward areas.

UNI adds: Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda launched an incentive-based scheme, “Jacha Bacha Scheme”, to promote safe institutional delivery, increase female sex ratio and ensure gender equality and women empowerment today.

Under the scheme, female multipurpose health workers, staff nurses and medical officers attending to childbirths will be given performance-based incentives.

GURGAON: Addressing the state-level Independence Day function here on Friday, Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai called upon the countrymen to pledge to maintain the sprit of progress.

He announced Rs 1.51 lakh for the schoolchildren, who participated in the function, and equal amount for the police jawans, who performed mass PT and yoga show.

He also announced a holiday tomorrow for all schools in Gurgaon district. Dr Kidwai honoured freedom fighters and the widows of the freedom fighters by presenting them shawls.

He also presented cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh each to the families of two martyrs - Subedar Mukesh Kumar and Anil Kumar of Gurgaon district - as grant in aid from the state government. He honoured 19 persons of Gurgaon district for their outstanding performance to various fields.

FATEHABAD: Parliamentary secretary Sharda Rathore on Friday unfurled the Tricolour in Manohar Memorial College on the occasion of the Independence Day.

SIRSA: Haryana minister for education and transport Mange Ram Gupta unfurled the National Flag in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium here on the occasion of the Independence Day on Friday. The minister honoured 19 freedom fighters and their family members.

KAITHAL: Haryana chief parliamentary secretary Ramesh Kaushik hoisted the National Flag at Police Lines here on Friday. He took salute from contingents of the Haryana police, home guards, NCC boys and girls and scout wings.

He honoured as many as 40 persons, including freedom fighters, government officials and others for their outstanding contributions to various fields.

REWARI: Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadiyan unfurled the National Flag at a district-level function held to mark the Independence Day in Rao Tula Ram Stadium here on Friday.

He announced a financial incentive of Rs 1 lakh for the schoolchildren, who presented a cultural programme on the occasion.

SONEPAT: Unfurling the Tricolour, Haryana irrigation and PWD minister Capt Ajai Singh on Friday said under the ongoing Rajiv Gandhi Bridge and Roads Infrastructure Development Programme, the state government had spend over Rs 2,000 crore for the improvement of roads and bridges in the state. He was addressing the Independence Day function organised here in Police Lines grounds.

JHAJJAR: Haryana revenue minister Savitri Jindal unfurled the National Flag on the Independence Day function organised on the premises of Government Polytechnic Institute here on Friday.

Yamunanagar, August 15
Commotion prevailed during the Independence Day function here when the widow of a martyr, Subedar Ranbir Singh of the 16 Jat Regiment, refused to accept a shawl of honour, which was presented to her by the chief guest at the Tejli Sports Complex here today.

When local bodies, labour, employment and technical education minister A.C. Chaudhary presented the shawl to her, she threw it on the stage alleging that the district administration had shown disrespect towards her husband.

The widow, Kamlesh Rani, was aggrieved at the fact that her husband did not get the honour he deserved from the state government for the sacrifice he had made
for the country.

Neither any official from the administration nor any minister visited her house to pay tributes to her husband, who died while fighting with militants in Jammu and Kashmir, she rued.

Ranbir Singh, who belonged to Gundiyana village of the district, had killed four militants in an encounter on July 3 in Jammu and Kashmir. However, later he was killed in a hand grenade blast lobbed by the militants.

Talking to mediapersons, she alleged that she did not get any compensation from the state government, while the family of another soldier of the state, who died along with her husband, had been given compensation by the state government.

She further revealed that even the Rashtriya Jat Mahasangh (RJM) had recently submitted a memorandum to the district administration addressed to the Chief Minister urging the state government and the Centre to provide compensation. However, nothing had happened so far.

“It is an irony that my husband’s junior, who hailed from Rohtak, also died in the same militant attack. However, all senior officials of the administration even the Chief Minister visited his house to pay tributes,” she lamented.

Chaudhary later told the media that tehsildar had gone to pay tributes on behalf of the administration when Ranbir Singh was cremated.

However, he did not reveal his identity to family members of the martyr. He said the state government would ensure all possible help to her.

Earlier, Chaudhary unfurled the National Flag and took salute from the police contingent and NCC cadets.

He paid tributes to martyrs, who laid down their lives for the country. Addressing the gathering, he said people of Haryana significantly contributed to Independence struggle. Schoolchildren presented cultural programmes on the occasion.

Besides, the minister accompanied by additional deputy commissioner Narender Singh distributed tricycles to eight physically disabled persons and honoured 28 persons of the district for their outstanding contribution to various fields.

He also gave Rs 51,000 as awards to participants and announced a holiday in all government and private educational institutes tomorrow.

Chandigarh, August 15
It’s action time in the state unit of the Congress party. After months of slumber, the top brass of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) is all set to get cracking and change the look of the party.

At the receiving end are going to be “laid back” presidents of the District Congress Committee (DCC) and the block presidents, who have chosen to take easy the
party responsibility.

Sources in the party said the process of change could begin as early as next week with the high command directive for setting their house in order as a run-up to the Lok Sabha poll preparation.

Party leaders maintain that while half a dozen DCC presidents-cum-MLAs could lose the top job in their respective districts, a large number of block presidents are in the firing line for not coming up to the expectations of the party high command.

This time round, with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections, the high command has asked the state unit to involve Members of Parliament in choosing new appointees.

The party, as a result, has decided to invite suggestions from the MPs for the DCC and block presidents with a view to activate these cells.

The sources said areas which need particular attention include Shahbad, Sonepat, rural Gurgaon among others where the MLAs, preoccupied with constituency work, have not been able to devote adequate time to strengthening the party base as also to organising party activities with regular frequency.

Though there was a suggestion to take away the post of DCC president from all sitting MLAs and hand these over to other deserving Congress workers, the idea applying this across the board was shot down.

The sources said this suggestion did not find any support at the meeting chaired by Congress general secretary and in charge of Haryana Affairs Margret Alva.

In fact, members of the committee, attending the meeting, were of the opinion that new faces should be brought to the forefront only where party work was suffering.

It was felt that MLAs who were found to be wanting in devoting time should be replaced. While this would take care of party work, the MLAs, too, would have more time at their disposal to dedicate to constituency work.

While suggestions for block presidents would also be invited from MLAs besides the MPs, these would not be binding on the party.

A final decision would be taken by the party top brass, including president Phool Chand Mullana and working president Kuldeep Sharma, in consultation with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda before the names are forwarded to the Delhi Darbar of the Congress.

Rohtak, August 15
In an attempt to get the Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) executive council (EC) nod for the architectural works allotted to his son’s firm, MDU vice-chancellor Ram Phal Hooda has decided to put the matter before the council members.

The agenda for the 197th EC meeting scheduled to be held here tomorrow includes an item titled “Engagement of Architectural Consultants/Agencies by the University”.

The item seeks to apprise the EC of the engagement of the architectural consultants/agencies by the university.

This agenda item is followed by a 24-point note, most of which tries to defend the allotment of various university works to a firm named “Office for Alternative Architecture”, whose Principal Architect is Ramneek Hooda, son of the present vice-chancellor of MDU.

“The vice-chancellor takes the liberty to request the honourable members to appreciate and approve his stand of demanding an enquiry to clear the clouds raised,” the note reads, adding that it was a matter of “mere coincidence” that the said firm was represented by the VC’s son.

The Tribune had recently carried a news report titled “MDU finds obvious ‘alternative’ --- VC’s son”, highlighting how norms had been flouted by the university authorities to favour the said firm.

After this report was published, the vice-chancellor wrote to the MDU chancellor and Haryana Chief Minister to institute an inquiry into the matter.

It is in this context that the VC now wants the EC’s seal of approval on his demand for an inquiry into the matter.

Whether the council members choose to become a party to the aforesaid decision is up to them, but there are certain significant points which seem to have been overlooked or are being concealed.

The major emphasis of the agenda note is on defending work allotment to Ramneek’s firm on the assertion that its rates (1.55 per cent) were the lowest as compared to the other firms on the panel of the university, which charged 2.25 per cent.

However, while stating so, the MDU administration conveniently forgot to mention that a Delhi-based firm, The Formation, has provided architectural consultancy to the university at the rate of merely 0.60 per cent.

There is no mention of this firm in the elaborate agenda, despite the fact that it has executed a large number of major MDU projects during recent years.

Then, several projects which had already been allotted to some other firms and whose maps/drawings had been received by the university, were re-allotted to Ramneek’s firm for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

Most importantly, the MDU administration invited tenders for only one project, the auditorium building. After the allotment of this work to the firm of the VC’s son, many more works --- worth nearly Rs 70 crore --- were allotted to it in a short time and without inviting separate tenders.

Had tenders been invited for all works in the beginning, many more and bigger
firms would have applied for these and the university would have got much more competitive bids.

Even the terms and conditions in the tender notice seem to be tailor-made to suit the “chosen” firm. For instance, the tender notice specifies that the applicant should have a minimum experience of eight years.

Interestingly, the firm of the VC’s son had got registered with the Council of Architects in April, 1999, and thus had precisely eight years’ experience.

For record sake, similar tender notices issued by MDU normally do not demand such specific experience.

Rewari, August 15
With the INLD leaders backing municipal councillor Manish Charaya and Congress activists seeking his arrest in the case pertaining to the alleged thrashing of Charaya and his two brothers by a group of persons led by the secretary of the Rewari District Congress Committee Shiv Rattan Yadav here on August 11, the issue has assumed political colour.

Apparently in a sequel to a demonstration held in the railway road market here recently, in which slogans were reportedly raised against the local minister in the presence of Charaya, a violent altercation erupted between a group of persons led by Yadav and Charaya and his two brothers outside his shop.

Subsequently, the police registered a case of rioting, causing hurt and criminal intimidation against the accused, Shiv Rattan Yadav, Pradeep Yadav and over a dozen others.

While shopkeepers in the railway road market held a demonstration seeking immediate arrest of the accused, Rajya Sabha MP and secretary-general of the INLD Ajay Singh Chautala too held a press conference at Charaya’s residence here on August 13.

Describing the attack on INLD activist Manish Charaya as an instance of lawlessness prevailing under the Hooda regime, he gave an ultimatum that if appropriate action was not taken against assailants within 48 hours, they would resort to an agitation.

Consequently, Yadav was arrested on August 13 and then produced in a local court, which granted him bail in the above case.

Local minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav too held a press conference at his residence here yesterday.

Asserting that he was not concerned with the altercation between two factions of citizens, Ajay Singh Yadav expressed disapproval of the way in which the matter was being given a political twist by certain politicians.

He further said such attempts to politicise the issue could lead to social disharmony.

Rewari, August 15
The Government Railway Police has booked Rekha Yadav’s husband Bhagirath Singh Yadav, father-in-law Bishamber Dayal Yadav, mother-in-law Daya Devi Yadav and five others, all residents of Chandawas village, near here, for dowry death.

She reportedly committed suicide by jumping before a train on the Hisar-Rewari track on August 13.

A case under Sections 498-A, 304-B of the IPC has been registered against them on a complaint filed by the deceased’s brother, Kehar Singh Yadav, of Surheli village.

He alleged that Rekha, who got married to Bhagirath in 2005, was persistently subjected to cruelty for dowry by her in-laws.

Jind, August 15
A widow allegedly committed suicide along with her two sons and a daughter by consuming celphos tablets at Ahirka village in the district last night.

The deceased were identified as Shanti, her two sons Rajpal and Naresh and daughter Neelam.

Though neighbours rushed them to a private hospital, they were declared brought dead by doctors.

The reason for the suicides is yet to be known as no note was recovered from the house. A case has been registered. — UNI

Chandigarh, August 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the reversion of 16 Haryana Civil Service (executive branch) officers.

As the matter came up before the Division Bench of Justice M. M Kumar and Justice Jitendra Chauhan, Haryana advocate-general H.S. Hooda sought time for filing detailed reply to the petition.

Accepting his prayer, the Bench granted the state two weeks time for the purpose.

Another week, thereafter, was granted to the petitioners for filing replication. The case will now come up on September 9.

The petitions had earlier contended they were being “targeted by an illegal and predetermined mind-set” to somehow hold them “as surplus to the cadre strength” and repatriate them to their erstwhile departments.

The petitioners had claimed they had serviced as members of the HCS for nearly four years “to the full satisfaction of the state government,” but the state, vide notification dated August 5, had observed the posts occupied by the 16 officers since October 4, 2004, had become non-existent due to reduction of cadre strength. As such, the officers had no legal right to continue on the posts.

Hisar, August 15
To mitigate grievances of consumers promptly, officers of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) will organise 20 open darbars in its area from August 16 to 19, an official spokesman said here yesterday.

He said in Sirsa, the darbars would be held on the premises of the 33 kV substation, Ganga, the 33 kV substation, Ding, and the 132 kV substation, Ellenabad, at 11.00 am on August 18.

The darbars in Fatehabad district would be held on August 16 at 33 kV substation, Mohamadki, near Ratia, and the 33 kV substation, Rainwalli, near Tohana.

Two open darbars would be organised in Hisar at the 33 kV substation, Umra, near Hansi, on August 17 and at the 33 kV substation, Mangali, near Hisar, on August 16.

In Mahendragarh, the darbars would be held at the 33 kV substation, Khatoti, and the 220 kV substation, Mahendragarh, on August 18 and in Rewari, the darbars would be organised on August 19 on the premises of the sub-urban subdivision, Rewari, and the 66 kV substation, Dharuhera. Six darbars have already been organised in Gurgaon this month.

For the convenience of consumers of villages and small towns in Gurgaon and Mewat, four additional open darbars would be held on August 18 at the 66 kV substation, Manesar, the 66 kV substation, Taoru, the 66 kV substation, Nuh, and the 220 kV substation, Badshahpur.

The darbars in Faridabad would also be held on August 18 at the Dabua Colony Complaint Centre, Faridabad, SGM Nagar, Faridabad, Akash Cinema Hall, Ballabgarh, and Bhagola village at 10.00 am.

All types of complaints, including meter reading, correction of bill, change of meter, new connection, replacement of electric installations, system improvement and power supply, of consumers of the operation division concerned would be entertained and redressed at the darbars.

Fatehabad, August 15
The police today booked a local doctor and his dispenser on charges of causing death of a child due to negligence.

The child died after he was allegedly administered an injection in hospital.

However, the doctor’s wife said the doctor was not in the town at the time of incident. He was admitted in a hospital in Hisar, as he was suffering from cardiac problem.

In his complaint to the police, Virender Kumar, a resident of Mohalla Ram Niwas, alleged that he had admitted his six-month-old child Vansh in Chauhan Hospital for treatment of diarrhea a few days ago.

He was discharged from the hospital three days ago, but was again brought to the hospital after the problem recurred yesterday.

He alleged that while his kid was on an intravenous drip about 8 pm last night, the dispenser administered an injection to the child, following which the child’s condition started deteriorating.

When he brought this to the notice of the dispenser, he administered another injection to the child.

However, the child fell unconscious after the second injection, he alleged.

The kid was immediately rushed to another hospital by the dispenser, but the doctor there declared him brought dead.

He alleged that the dispenser informed him that he gave the injections on the advice of the doctor.

The police has booked Dr P.C. Chauhan and his dispenser Ramesh under Section 304-A of the IPC.

They started shooing them away towards the railway track after they had an altercation with Ramzan.

Small groups of youths remained glued to TV sets and jumped in joy when he was declared winner by the judges after the bout ended in a tie at 9-9.

The service charges would be Rs 1,000 for amount ranging from Rs 5,00,001 and more than this. — PTI

Sonepat, August 15
Suresh Kumar, a safai karamchari, of the Gohana Municipal Council was electrocuted in Jawahar Lal Nehru park of Gohana today.

The incident occurred when Suresh was trying to pull out an iron pole after the Independence Day function.

The pole, which was fixed to hoist a flag, touched the high-tension electricity line running across the park.

Sources said the local administration had shifted the venue of the function to this park due to accumulation of water in Devi Lal Stadium.

Later, the district spokesperson said the state government had announced an ex gratia of Rs 1lakh besides financial aid of Rs 10,000 from the local administration.

Meanwhile, the MC employees union had demanded Rs 10 lakh as compensation and government job to the deceased's widow.