Karnal, September 8
A large number of Haryana government employees today staged a dharna in Karan Park in protest against the police firing on guest teachers in Rohtak yesterday.

They also presented a memorandum to deputy commissioner B.S. Malik.

Leaders of the employees demanded regularisation of all ad hoc, guest and contract teachers and anganwari workers. They also demanded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the next kin of the deceased, action against erring police officers and high-level impartial probe into the matter.

A woman guest teacher was killed and several persons, including Rohtak DC and SSP, were injured as the protest turned violent and the police resorted to lathicharge and firing.

FATEHABAD: The state government has come in for a sharp criticism from various employees and students’ organisations for the alleged “barbaric attitude” of the police in Rohtak yesterday.

Hundreds of guest teachers staged a dharna outside the office of the district education officer on Monday and then gathered at the local Ambedkar Park under the aegis of the district unit of the Haryana Guest Teachers Association.

Representatives of the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh, Sarva Karamchari Sangh, Haryana Unaided School Association, All-India Democratic Youth Federation, Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, Multi-purpose Health Workers Union and the Akhil Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union reached there to offer support.

Criticising the police action, leaders of various organisations said yesterday’s incident had reminded the time of the British regime.

They demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, Rs 5 lakh each for the injured and immediate acceptance of the demands of guest teachers.

SIRSA: Several employees and students’ organisations on Monday held demonstrations and organised protest meetings against the police lathicharge and firing on protesting guest teachers in Rohtak on Sunday.

The Haryana Sanyukt Karamchari Manch has announced to organise a statewide demonstrations against the government on September 10.

YAMUNANAGAR: Workers of the Haryana Janhit Congress on Monday protested outside the mini-secretariat against the killing of a guest teacher and brutal beating up of others by the police in Rohtak on Sunday.

A group led by coordinator of the Mahila wing of the Janhit Congress Kushum Sharma submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner.

REWARI: Members of the district unit of the Haryana Sarva Karamchari Sangh held a demonstration near the office of the deputy commissioner here on Monday in protest against the police firing on agitating guest teachers in Rohtak.

They demanded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased teacher, a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each for the injured and unconditional release of all arrested teachers.

KAITHAL: A large number of teachers held a meeting in Jawahar Park here on Monday and expressed resentment over the firing and lathicharge on the protesting teachers.

They said the government had proved that it was against the teaching community and the guest teachers in particular. They demanded a strong action against all those who were behind the brutal act of firing and lathicharge.

Chandigarh, September 8
Taking note of the absence of the Sonepat deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police during his tour yesterday, Buta Singh, chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, said the commission would proceed against them for their “non-cooperative” stance.

Stating that the two officers were “absent” when a team of the commission visited Rai in Sonepat district yesterday, Buta Singh added that the officers had previously, too, failed to respond to three notices issued by the commission with regard to uprooting of a Dalit basti in Sonepat.

He said though attempts were being made to uproot Dalit bastis all over the state, the one at Rai had been in existence for nearly 60 years. Despite the notices from the commission, the two officers failed to present themselves before it. The chairman added that similar attempts were being made in Farmana village of the district.

Addressing a press conference, he said no senior officer from the district administration was present during the tour. Maintaining that they were satisfied with the schemes rolled out by the state for the benefit of the SCs, he emphasised that all social groups which appeared before the commission had complained of an “unbridled bureaucracy” in the state. The chairman added that while every group stated that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was sympathetic to their demands, they added that the bureaucracy was neglecting the orders of the Chief Minister.

He said when the matter was brought to the notice of the chief secretary, the latter agreed that implementation of orders was slow in the bureaucracy. He said the commission discussed various steps the state could take to protect Dalit bastis.

Coming down heavily on khap panchayats in the state, Buta Singh said these bodies were “baseless”. “If khap panchayats are running a parallel government, there will a Pakistan-like situation in the state,” he added. The chairman said the Haryana government had been given three months to implement the commission’s directives.

Earlier, Buta Singh said untouchability should be abolished at all levels as per the provisions of the Constitution. He was reviewing the implementation of various schemes being implemented by the government for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes at a state-level meeting here today. 

Panchkula, September 8
Close on the heels of the suicide by Rohtak-based woman Sarita, a woman from Yamunanagar threatened to commit suicide in front of the Haryana police headquarters here today. Shamshida Begam, who reached the police headquarters this morning, alleged that the Yamunanagar police was shielding the accused, including some policemen, who were responsible for beating her up which resulted in her miscarriage.

According to Shamshida, she bought a washing machine four years ago from a shop in her village Mustafabad, which turned out to be faulty. She asked the shopkeepers Sonu and Monu to change the machine and when they refused to do so, her husband served a legal notice to them last year. However, the shopkeepers, along with a few policemen, attacked their house, thrashing her and her husband Salim Saifi that led to her miscarriage on April 13 last year, she alleged.

The incident was reported to the police as well as the deputy commissioner but no case was registered against the accused, she said. Finally, a case was registered against the accused on July 12 last year but soon the culprits were set free. Ever since, they were threatening her and her family, she alleged, adding that she did not find any option other that ending her life as no one was ready to listen to her even as she tried to meet the Haryana DGP twice last week. She later left for her village after meeting the police officials.

The Haryana police spokesman, however, denying the allegation, said she had been provided protection by deputing policemen following orders of the court.

Jind, September 8
A 40-year-old woman and her four minor daughters consumed poison at their residence in the Ajmer Basti locality here last night in a bid to end their lives over a domestic issue.

While the mother and her two elder daughters died, the two others were battling for their lives in a hospital when reports last came in.

They were allegedly fed up with the drinking habit of their father, who used to beat them up quite often.

The deceased have been identified as Bala Devi and her daughters Bhoti (15) and Sheetal, alias Susain. While Bala Devi and Bhoti died at the civil hospital here last night, Sheetal died in the PGIMS, Rohtak, soon after she was shifted there.

The other two daughters, Komal (8) and Anjali (6), are stated to be in a critical condition. The police has arrested Tek Ram, husband of Bala Devi. 

Chandigarh, September 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that government departments, while reimbursing the medical bills of employees, would not deduct the insurance amounts received by them.

In a significant judgment certain to benefit all government employees of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, a Division Bench of the high court has held: “The amount paid under the insurance policy would not be deductible from the amount payable by the department”.

The direction comes with a rider. The payment would be “subject to one condition that both the amounts, if clubbed together, would not exceed the total bill,” the Bench of Justice M.M. Kumar and Justice Jora Singh added.

The judgment means that the employee is entitled to receive money from both the insurance company and the department concerned for medical treatment, provided the total amount remains less than what he has spent.

The judgment comes on a petition filed by Som Nath Sachdeva, a retired Haryana State Electricity Board employee. In his petition, Sachdeva had sought the quashing of an order rejecting his application for medical reimbursement. Directions to the respondents to reimburse the medical bill were also sought.

Sachdeva contended that he had to undergo angiography, followed by bypass treatment, from a hospital in Saket, Delhi, under extreme emergency. Subsequently, a bill of Rs 2, 27,217 was submitted, but it was rejected by order dated July 25, 2007.

In the order, it was stated that out of the total amount, the petitioner had claimed Rs 13, 5000 from an insurance company, and was now seeking the reimbursement of the balance amount of Rs 92, 217 for medical hospitalisation.

The order added in case of such emergency treatment, the department concerned was reimbursing bills in accordance with the PGI rates. In the instant case, Rs 74, 874, would have been reimbursed, which was less than the amount claimed by the retiree from the insurance company. As such, the claim was being rejected.

The Bench asserted: There is no provision in policy showing that the claimant is not entitled to claim reimbursement of medical bill, in case he has received a part of the same from the insurance company under his own insurance cover.

Before parting with the judgment, the Bench added: “The writ petition succeeds. The respondents are directed to pay the amount of Rs 74, 874, which is reimbursable to him had he taken the treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh”. The Judges directed that the needful be done within two months. 

Yamunanagar, September 8
With a view to improving attendance of government field functionaries and to increase their accountability, the state government has directed all the divisional commissioners and the deputy commissioners to adopt “Fixed day approach” by holding meetings of the various village-level committees, which have common members on the one same day.

“This will help to make sure that field functionaries are able to participate in all such meetings by visiting the village on the pre-fixed day. Non-official members will also find it easier to participate on a fixed day,” the chief secretary said, in a communication to all officials concerned of the state.

Under new policy of the state government, the deputy commissioners were asked to formulate and notify the

schedule for each village in consultation with the district heads of the department concerned.

Besides it, a joint meeting of the committees of the departments concerned at the district-level will be held on a fixed day under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner.

Suggesting the need for such policy, the chief secretary said the effective convergence was the key to efficient delivery at the grassroots level.

In order to achieve meaningful convergence and optimum utilisation of time and resources, it had been decided that the fixed day approach be adopted, he added. 

Sirsa, September 8
If you are travelling by a Haryana Roadways’ bus and find a middle-aged simple-looking woman sitting besides you, beware!

A gang of such women is on the prowl in roadways’ buses these days. These women may stealthily disembark at any station with your luggage and disappear in the streets in no time.

Belonging to the Sansi and Bawaria tribes, these women look like any other ordinary rural woman.

However, their actions are such that they can steal valuables without being noticed.

These women board buses by purchasing a ticket of a nearby station, but get down of the bus as soon as they are able to lay their hands on the luggage of some unsuspecting passenger.

Dr Saroj Lohan, a lecturer in political science at the local CMK National Girls PG College, fell victim to one such woman in her bus journey between Hisar and Sirsa yesterday. She lost her luggage containing clothes and valuables.

Dr Lohan was coming to Sirsa from Narnaund by a roadways’ bus.

She had placed her luggage in the shelf meant for it on the other side of her seat and was intermittently keeping an eye on it.

A middle-aged woman was sitting on the other side of her seat.

When the bus stopped at the Nangthala bus stand, Dr Lohan found the luggage missing. She raised the alarm. The person with whom the middle-aged woman was sitting said she had just descended the bus with the luggage.

Efforts to trace the woman by many passengers of the bus failed to evoke results.

The conductor informed her that the woman was noticed frequently changing her seats after boarding the bus from Hisar and after getting suspicious he had asked her to show her ticket.

But, she disembarked from the bus before reaching the destination for which she had purchased her ticket. 

Rewari, September 8
With the arrest of alleged supari killer Ombir of Babepur village in Jhajjar district, the case pertaining to the murder of farmer Naresh Yadav(30) of Kurahwata village in Mahendragarh district has been cracked by the Jatusana police in Rewari district.

Ombir, kingpin of the alleged perpetrators of the murder, who was recently arrested by the Ambala police for his alleged involvement in the abduction of a young girl, was secured on production warrant by the Jatusana police, which brought him from Ambala to Jatusana on Saturday night. When Ombir spilled the beans regarding his involvement in the murder of a youth in Rewari, the Ambala police conveyed the information to the Rewari district police following which Ombir was brought here.

Ombir was yesterday produced in the court of the Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate at Kosli, which remanded him in police custody for four days.

During interrogation, Ombir reportedly revealed that Om Praksh Yadav, a close associate of Naresh Yadav, had furnished him a supari of Rs 1 lakh to eliminate Naresh Yadav. He told the police that Naresh Yadav was strangled to death by him and his three accomplices - Govind, Mahesh and Dinesh, all residents of Babepur village. He said they had made a bid to burn the body after which it was abandoned in the forest area of Motal Khurd village, near Jatusana. The half-burnt body was recovered by the police from there on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the police has also arrested Om Prakash Yadav from Kurahwata village for allegedly offering the supari. During interrogation, he said that his intimacy with Narseh Yadav had led to his illicit relations with his wife following which he conspired to put him out of his way. Om Prakash was today produced in the court of the SDJM at Kolsi.