Panipat, September 13
After having hit the headlines for threatening to switch loyalties with the BSP just before the Congress was seeking a vote of confidence on the N-deal in Parliament, Congress MP from Karnal Arvind Sharma today again fired a number of salvos at the Congress.

Sharma, who organised a meeting of his supporters at the local Gymkhana Club, openly criticised the state government for having “overlooked people’s interests” in the state.

Sharma said the firing incident in Rohtak, in which a woman guest teacher was killed, was completely uncalled for and he considered it his duty to raise his voice for the people.

He said he was fighting for the people of the state and would continue to do so in the future.

He took the state government to task over the non-issuance of BPL cards to the deserving and said the government was following a caste-based policy. He said the government should hand over the possession of the land to those who had been allotted plots way back in 1986. He said he would take up the issue of charging of toll tax from local residents at the highest level.

The Congress MP had taken a rebellious stance against the party by announcing that he would go with the BSP just before the party was struggling to find support for the N-deal in Parliament. However, soon he abandoned his move and decided to stay with the Congress. 

Rohtak, September 13
The recent firing and lathicharge on guest teachers here has failed to elicit a worthwhile response from the state’s opposition parties as well.

While the district administration and police authorities are already in the dock for subjecting the protesting guest teachers - including women - to brutal and inhuman treatment, the state government has also assumed a baffling silence over the issue. As if this was not enough, the opposition parties also seem to have adopted a ceremonial sort of protest in this regard.

This, despite the fact that the police not only brutally thrashed the protesting guest teachers, but also used weapons such as the AK-47 rifles on them. A woman guest teacher was killed in the incident, while many others were injured.
As if to complete a formality, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi, BSP leader Maan Singh Manheda, state BJP general secretary Abhimanyu and rebel Congress MP Arvind Sharma have visited the injured at the local PGIMS and demanded a CBI/judicial inquiry and action against the guilty officials. In this ongoing series of ceremonial protests, yesterday it was the turn of former home minister and INLD leader Sampat Singh. “We demand an inquiry by the CBI or a sitting high court judge and legal as well as administrative action against the officials found guilty in the episode,” Sampat said while addressing a press conference, here.

However, he evaded a direct reply on being asked what would be their party’s future course of action in case their demand was not met. The INLD leader also could not give a satisfactory reply to a question regarding the relevance of his demand, several days after the same was put forward by his party chief Om Prakash Chautala. 

Sirsa, September 13
A committee of senior university teachers constituted by Chaudhary Devi Lal University vice-chancellor K.C. Bhardwaj to look into the incident of a spat between some teachers of the university today began the departmental inquiry.

Anu Shukla, professor and chairperson of the English department of the university, who is the head of the three-member inquiry committee that includes Vikram Singh and Sultan Singh, has written to Rajesh Malik and Baljit Singh Yadav seeking their replies to the allegations of trespass and hurting religious sentiments levelled by Sewa Singh Bajwa, a lecturer in the mass communication department of the university.

Malik and Yadav have been asked to submit their replies by September 15.

Bajwa had written an application to the SP with its copies to the Governor, the vice-chancellor, the Jathedar of Akal Takht and the National Minorities Commission accusing Malik and Yadav of barging into his house on September 7 and pulling his beard, crushing his turban under their feet, besides beating him up. The allegations had been denied by Malik and Yadav.

While Malik had accused Bajwa of providing shelter to youths of shady character, Yadav had alleged that the allegations against him had been made at the instance of the vice-chancellor in an effort to pressure him to withdraw a writ petition filed by his wife Ritika in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which Bhardwaj was a respondent. Anu Shukla confirmed that the committee had begun its work and had sought replies from Malik and Yadav by September 15.

“The committee has received a set of complaints against Sewa Singh Bajwa too and he will also be asked to explain his position on those complaints,” said Shukla.

She said 12 teachers of the university residing on the campus had submitted complaints regarding Bajwa’s conduct, but she refused to divulge the details.

Meanwhile, sources said Raj Kumar, a reader in the biotechnology department; Nivedita, a lecturer in the education department; Kiran Nehra (biotechnology); Ashok Makkar (law); J.S. Jakhar, chairperson of the law department; Neelam (mathematics); Surinder More (business economics); Pardeep Ahlawat (management); Mukesh Kumar (law); and Rani Sahu (energy and environmental sciences), besides Malik and Yadav have levelled allegations of providing shelter to anti-social elements against Bajwa in these complaints.

Bajwa, meanwhile, has said in a press note issued today that he feared a physical attack from Malik and Yadav and demanded their immediate arrest in the case registered against them.

Karnal, September 13
Working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Kuldeep Sharma today strongly advocated the inclusion of sex education in school syllabus and allayed the fears that it would have negative fallout.

Speaking at a seminar on "whether sex education should be included in schools curriculum or not", organised by JCI Karnal, he said we should not skip this issue due to fear that it would have negative implications.

"Sex education" should be imparted to children in the right perspective and at appropriate age; parents, teachers and society as a whole should also be actively involved in proper counselling of the adolescent.

Stressing that India was the largest reserve of knowledge, Sharma called for striking a proper balance between the ancient cultures and emerging trends on this sensitive issue.

Barring two or three speakers, most participants supported the inclusion of sex education in school curriculum. However, they differed on how to impart the education and at what stage.

Some of the speakers asserted that sex education was already being imparted through biology and it should be advanced to cover younger children. The role of parents in upbringing of children and giving them proper education on the subject was also highlighted by several speakers.

Rajan Lamba, principal of Tagoor Bal Nikatan, strongly opposed sex education in schools. He said in a society where talking about sex is still a taboo, how can this subject be discussed in the class room. The parents should take the responsibility of giving moral education to children and building their character.

Another social activist Hanse said parents and teachers should do introspection of their conduct before speaking on the issue. The sex education in school would only bring about a change for the worse and serve no purposes he observed.

Yamunanagar, September 13
Managing director of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited Sanjeev Kaushal today visited the Deen Bandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant (600 MW) to review the maintenance work on unit 1 (300 MW) and the availability of coal stock to run the plant.

Officials said they informed the MD that the maintenance work had been going on as per the schedule and the damaged unit was likely to start functioning by September 21. Of the two units, one had been shut down on September 6 due to damage caused by a fire that broke out in the plant.

The officials said chief engineer Sushil Bansal, accompanied by Reliance engineers, discussed the maintenance work at length.

The closure of the thermal plant unit had caused a shortage of 300 MW per day.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that although Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited had taken up the matter regarding the coal shortage with the ministry concerned, it will not be able to get its full quota due to the floods in Bihar.

The thermal plants in the state get their coal supply from Jharkhand. However, due to damaged railway tracks and non-availability of labourers for mining work, it will not be possible to get enough supply of coal from mines.

The problem of coal shortage could persist for some more days, said sources. 

Chandigarh, September 13
The shortage of power in Haryana is “temporary” and efforts are being made by the Haryana Power Utilities to arrange and supply maximum power to consumers. A spokesperson for the utilities said here today that the state needed about 1,000 lakh units of electricity daily against the availability of over 875 lakh units.

He said for a shortage of 112 lakh units of electricity in the state today, the utilities arranged 72 lakh units of electricity at higher rates yesterday to meet the requirement.

It is expected that the unit of the Yamunanagar Thermal Power Plant, closed on September 6 following a fire, will resume generation tomorrow.

Besides, one unit of a gas-based plant in Faridabad, which is out of order, is likely to regenerate electricity next week.

There is considerable demand of electricity in the agriculture sector as the ongoing paddy season will be over by the end of this month.

Instructions have been issued to field officers to ensure a minimum daily supply of power for six hours to tubewells.

They have been asked to ensure that electricity is supplied to waterworks for at least one hour in the morning as well as in the evening.

The industries will observe restrictions for nine hours daily. The supply will be restricted to urban and mixed urban feeders for over five hours daily.

However, the supply will not be restricted for more than one hour during one time slot. 

Sirsa, September 13
The Beijing Olympic bronze medal winner Vijender has no plans to go on a date or dinner with Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu. The Beijing hero says he is preparing for another date, he has committed himself to. This is a date with the Commonwealth Games to be played in India in 2010. 

Vijender, who was here last night to see an international cricket league being played here, told the media persons that he did not want to waste his time and energy on things other than boxing at present.

He said gold and only gold was what he was aspiring for in the coming Commonwealth Games, and he was making his preparations accordingly.

The boxer revealed the mood in the Indian camp was of gloom and despair, when two of our boxers had been defeated in the quarterfinals of the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.

I assured my coach G.S. Sandhu, who was a dejected person by then, that I was going to win my bout, Vijender said. "I entered the ring beaming with confidence and that made the difference," he added.

Vijender expressed confidence that the game of boxing would get a big boost in the country with actor Sanjay Dutt becoming its brand ambassador.

He also praised the efforts of the Chautalas for the amelioration of sports in the country. He congratulated Digvijay Singh, son of MP Ajay Singh Chautala, for organising a big cricketing event in a small town like Sirsa.

Karnal, September 13
The need for the creation of violence and terror free world was stressed at a programme against global terrorism organised by the National Integrated Forum of Artists and activists (NIFAA) here today.

Speaking on the occasion, I.G. Rohtak Range, V. Kamaraja deplored the increasing acts of violence and terrorism across the globe and said that non-violence has been a part of our culture for centuries, and therefore it is our duty to work for the eradication of any type of violence.

He said terrorism is also available in our respective houses, where husbands are torching their wives, quarreling with each other and their children are having continuous terror in their tender feelings.

He gave a call to the people to join hands to root out violence, corruption and terrorism from the society and the entire world.

NIFAA chairman Pritpal Singh Pannu threw light on the tragic incident of 9/11 and its impact on the global policy against terrorism.

He said that this heinous crime against humanity claimed 2,974 innocent lives and informed that NIFAA has started a series of programmes for the creation of terrorism and war free, peaceful and just world under the banner of "quest for peace".

Sonepat, September 13
On the basis of a complaint lodged against chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Buta Singh and three other members of the commission, by a woman from Rai village, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sonepat, R.P. Goyal, has directed the SHO, police station, Rai, to inquire into the matter and submit a report in the court by September 20.

The complainant Krishna had alleged that on September 7 the chairman and other members of the commission had visited Rai village to inquire into another complaint lodged by Karmo Devi regarding alleged encroachment on disputed land.

However, the officials asked Krishna to close one of the doors of her house that opened towards the disputed land. When she informed that the matter was sub-judice at a Sonepat court, the chairman and the members allegedly misbehaved and hurled abuses at her. 

Bhiwani, September 13
Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi today said his resignation had not been accepted under a planned conspiracy just to avoid a byelection, though he had submitted it six months ago. "It shows Sonia, the Congress and the Hooda government are afraid of my rising popularity," he stated in a press note issued here today.

Bishnoi said the decision of his disqualification had no meaning as he had already submitted his resignation. "It does not matter to me whether my resignation has been accepted or not," said the HJC leader, adding even Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda could not have won the election, had he contested it against him (Kuldeep) from Bhiwani.

The HJC leader while giving challenge to Hooda and INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala said the duo could test their popularity by contesting byelection of Bhiwani Lok Sabha seat against him. "The resignation has been accepted at the time when the Lok Sabha elections are just ahead and generally no byelection is held in such a brief time," said Bishnoi.

Sirsa, September 13
The Dera Sacha Sauda sent nine canters of eatables, medicines, clothes and utensils for the flood victims of Bihar here today. The vehicles were flagged off by dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from the dera headquarters.

Meanwhile, a 100-member team of volunteers from the Shah Satnam Green-S Force of the dera has left for Bihar to help the authorities concerned in the rescue work.

“The relief material sent by the dera included 210 quintals of rice, 70 quintals of pulses, biscuits, utensils, spices, sarees, mineral water and medicines,” said a spokesperson for the dera.