Bilaspur (Panipat), September 22
The 4.09 lakh cusecs of water, which was released into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) on Saturday, today posed a flood threat to at least 23 villages of the district. However, prompt action initiated by the district administration prevented the water from entering into the villages, ensuring that there was no loss to life or property here.

A team of officials of the district administration under the direct supervision of Samalkha SDM Jatinder Dahiya that had set up a 24-hour camp here to monitor the situation appeared to be putting in relentless efforts to save the district from the flood fury. However, a visit to this segment revealed that the villagers in some of the low-lying areas of the district were still apprehensive of floods.

The administration has deployed men and machinery at all vulnerable points across the 24-km stretch of the WYC that passes through the district. This segment of the district is considered most prone to floods, as every time the same volume of water was released into the WYC in 1978, 1995 and 2000, a breach had occurred here.

It was learnt that the water, which was released into the WYC from Tajewala Barrage on Saturday, entered the district late last evening. The officials monitoring the flow of waters in the WYC said the situation here was critical but it would likely ease by midnight.

Mini-walls of sand bags and stones had been built here to prevent breaches in the WYC. As many as 10,000 bags of sand and 11 trucks of stones had been used to make these walls, which the officials said were enough to prevent breaches.

SDM Jatinder Dahiya said the water at present had reached its peak, but it was likely to recede by midnight.

The administration was prepared to tackle any eventuality. Officials were on an alert and logistics had been arranged to meet the crisis, he said.

Meanwhile, there had been unconfirmed reports of floodwaters entering fields in a few villages where it caused some damage to the standing crops.

As a precautionary measure, the administration asked around 100 residents of Rahimpur village across the stream to evacuate the village. Three speedboats had been pressed into service in the area, which were being used to ferry residents of Rahimpur village to safer areas.

Officials monitoring the level of water in the WYC at the Sanoli Bridge said water was flowing under the danger mark of 203.83 and in case no extra water was released into the canal, which was now unlikely to happen, the waters would not enter the villages.

Yamunanagar, September 22
The water level of Yamuna continued to recede considerably on the second day giving relief to the administration. The water level reduced to 42,336 cusecs at 6 pm recorded at Hathni Kund Barrage today. However, overflow in Yamuna will continue in Delhi for the next few days.

The water level of Yamuna had started increasing on Friday at Hathni Kund Barrage in the district and reached 4.09 lakh cusecs on Saturday at 4 pm. The low-lying areas of Delhi would continue to face high flow for the next two days. The situation could be worse if parts of Haryana along Yamuna or Delhi would witness rainfall, said irrigation department officials.

As per preliminary assessment of the administration, residents of 29 villages and crops spread over 10,819 acres of three subdivisions of the district were affected by the overflowing Yamuna in the district in the past three days.

The worst-hit area was Chhachhroli subdivision, where seven villages witnessed major destruction due to overflow in the river. These were the initial figures in the evening communication to the state government by the district administration.

In Jagadhari, 15 villages and crops spread over 3,719 acres suffered damages. Crops in 4,460 acres was damaged in Radaur subdivision. “These were the initial figure sent to the state government. The details will be prepared after conducting a survey of each affected village,” said SDM R.K. Singh, who prepared the report.

Meanwhile, MP Naveen Jindal today visited the Yamuna-hit villages in Jatlana Gumthala in Radaur subdivision. Besides, he also conducted the aerial survey of the areas along Yamuna to assess the damages.

Villagers complained that every year they had to face a similar situation because of lack of proper arrangement. They said a concrete wall should be made along Yamuna to protect the low-lying areas along the river. They said the administration had failed to make proper arrangements for the villagers, who had been facing a tough time after the waters entered into their houses and fields.

Jindal has assured the villagers of all possible help and proper compensation.

Karnal, September 22
Congress MP from Karnal Arvind Sharma today urged the government to find a lasting solution to the perpetual problem of floods in the Yamuna, which causes extensive damage to crops and property.

“There should be some permanent solution to the problem of frequent floods,” he said after visiting the flood-hit villages of Chandrao, Hansu Majara, Chowgaon, Randoli, Dabkali Kalan and Dabkali Khurd. He demanded adequate compensation for farmers after assessing the damage to crops.

Crops worth crores had been damaged due to the recent floods and the threat of an outbreak of diseases loomed large over the affected villages, he said, adding that sufficient medical aid should be rushed to the area to meet any emergency.

The local MLA from Indri, Bhim Singh Mehta, who was here for his weekly “khula darbar”, said there was no loss of life but the paddy crop in the low-lying areas had suffered extensive damage. He said the basmati crop was the worst hit and had been flattened and was still submerged.

The actual loss would be known after the water was drained out and proper assessment was made, he added. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was here yesterday, had already asked the revenue authorities to conduct a girdawari to assess the loss and provide compensation, he added.

Meanwhile, irrigation department engineers plugged the “rat-hole” at Gari Birbal and the Gari Birbal-Yamunanagar road which was closed due to waterlogging and was expected to be opened by tomorrow, M.K. Ahuja, superintendent engineer (irrigation) said.

Ahuja, who inspected the affected areas along with the other SE concerned, said the flood threat had been averted.

Bhiwani, September 22
Two motorcycle-borne youths shot dead a local heart specialist at his nursing home here today. 

According to information, two youths arrived at Chaudhary Hospital in the evening. One of them went to the compounder and got a slip to get himself checked by the doctor. Sources said the youth entered the doctor’s cabin and opened fire on the doctor from point blank range. Dr D.S. Chaudhary fell down while the assailant fled the spot.

Hospital assistants immediately rushed the doctor to the civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The police sounded alert and put barricades in order to arrest the assailants.

“The reason of murder is still uncertain,” said a senior police official, adding that the police was investigating.

The incident, however, has sent a shock wave in the city.

Rohtak, September 22
The magisterial inquiry into the recent incident of firing and lathicharge on protesting guest teachers here began today. Additional deputy commissioner P.C.Meena, along with a team of other district officials, camped at the local Chhotu Ram Stadium as had been scheduled.

However, their wait for witnesses proved futile as nobody turned up to depose before the probe panel. While the ADC left the venue after waiting for the witnesses for some time, the others stayed back.

Later, talking to The Tribune, Meena said the deposition was only one aspect of the inquiry process, which would continue as per the official procedure and norms laid down in this regard.

“The video footage of the entire episode will be viewed and versions of the duty magistrates, police personnel and other officials present at the time of the firing will be recorded,” he disclosed on being questioned about the further course of inquiry.

Meena pointed out that the persons wishing to furnish any information regarding the matter could provide the same to the panel as the probe was in progress.

A woman guest teacher, Raj Rani of Jind, was killed and many others injured in firing and lathicharge on the teachers from all over the state protesting here on September 7.

The handing over the probe to the ADC had raised many an eyebrow. Raj Rani’s father as well as many voluntary, social and political organisations had termed the probe a mere eyewash and demanded a CBI or judicial inquiry into the entire episode. They said probe by an official did not seem justified as his superiors were a party in the incident.

However, the agitation gradually died down as political parties preferred to provide just lip service and the association of guest teachers “meekly surrendered” before the state powers that be.

The state government also “assumed a studied silence” over the issue and “considered its responsibility over” after announcing a few bucks as compensation for the family of the teacher killed in the incident.

The district administration and the police authorities, on their part, allegedly launched a cover-up operation soon after the brutal use of force on protesting teachers (most of whom were women) and “got away with it successfully”.

Thus, the family members of the deceased teacher and those injured in the police firing and lathicharge remained the only sufferers in the entire episode.

Chandigarh, September 22
The Chandigarh International Airport project is set to get a fillip with Haryana agreeing to give Rs 230 crore as a part of its share in the Rs 460 crore spent by Punjab to acquire land for the terminal in one months time, even as a tripartite meeting between all three partners resulted in the appointment of a consultant for the project.

Punjab chief secretary R.I. Singh today disclosed that with Haryana agreeing to pay its due share in the money spent by Punjab for acquiring land for the project, work on the project was likely to be speeded up.

Already the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GAMADA), which has acquired the land for the project, has asked the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to make the boundary wall at the site.

A tripartite meeting held in Delhi on Friday resulted in clarity as to how the project was to go ahead. Representatives of Punjab and Haryana, besides officials of the AAI and the Civil Aviation Department attended the meeting. It was decided to appoint Price Waterhouse firm as a consultant for the project. The firm will submit its report recommending the authorised and subscribed equity capital of the JV Company within one month.

Besides this, other issues like compensating Punjab for the land acquired by it for the terminal were also taken up. Joint secretary, civil aviation K .N. Srivastav was of the opinion that Haryana should pay its due share to Punjab as the joint-venture company was still to be formed. Other issues like exclusive approach roads have been put off for the next meeting.

Meanwhile, Haryana principal secretary, transport and civil aviation Sameer Mathur said there was never any doubt over Haryana not sharing the cost for establishment of the international airport. When asked whether there was any delay on this issue, he said Punjab could have felt so. He, however clarified that the government had to follow certain processes and that the meeting of the tripartite committee was one step in this direction.

Mathur said as the tripartite committee was in effect operating as a JVC till the same came into being, the HUDA would make the due payment to Punjab. He said this should be done in one month’s time. 

Chandigarh, September 22
The Haryana tourism complex will offer 15 per cent discount on birthday celebrations of all children. Announcing this here today, minister of state for tourism Kiran Choudhry said earlier this discount was given on birthday celebrations of girls and women’s kitty parties.

Talking to mediapersons, Choudhry said the World Tourism Organisation would market Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore, as a major tourism destination after the declaration of the Kalka-Shimla railway track as world heritage site by the UNESCO.

She said the Bhima Devi museum was almost complete and it would be inaugurated at the time of the dedication ceremony of the toy train, which would be decided by the Railway ministry.

She said the Haryana tourism would develop the Kurukshetra-Pehowa-Hardwar as a pilgrim circuit. She said an airstrip would be set up in Kurukshetra to give better facilities to the tourists, especially foreigners. A major convention centre would be set up in Karnal and land had been already acquired.

She said this circuit would be developed in such a manner that anybody visiting Delhi could visit all these places with ease.

Chandigarh, September 22
Educated village youth now have a chance of playing an instrumental role in improving the standard of education in their villages. Dissatisfied with the working of delegates posted as coordinators all over the state under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan project, the education department has decided to pass the baton to educated youngsters through a novel scheme.

The department has decided to employ an assistant block resource coordinator (ABRC) for every 10 schools in a district. This coordinator will be chosen from among the village youth who are first class postgraduates and have participated in extra-curricular activities at the college level.

“The idea is to get the coordinators involved in the SSA programme to be able to make a difference. Their duty involves a wide range of activities right from planning for teachers’ training to coordinating with them for activity-based learning in schools, maintaining a school-level database and inclusive education for all. We were of the opinion that a local would be able to carry out these tasks better,” explains P.K. Das, project director of SSA.

He said: “The idea is to train the coordinators in dealing with special children and their needs. Since a local will be familiar with the entire fraternity around, he is likely to understand the requirements of schoolchildren better.”

Hoping to accomplish the task by mid-October this year, Das said nearly 1,500 coordinators would be appointed to streamline the working of the SSA. “They will be required to apply to us after which we will hold interviews of the candidates. We are hoping to wrap up the entire exercise by October 15 and have the coordinators on the job,” he added.

Presently, 75 per cent of the seats of coordinators are lying vacant all over the state. Initially, schoolteachers were appointed as coordinators in districts which meant that some of them were required to move out of their present place of posting to a new place.

This did not go down with most such coordinators who virtually ignored their duties and failed to produce any results in their area of operation, taking a toll on the project.

Gradually, these teachers, on deputation with the SSA, were moved back to teaching and the movement is still continuing. Faced with this roadblock, the department decided to involve the locals for coordination among schools to which Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has learnt to have given his nod.

Gurgaon, September 22
Residents of DLF (Phase-I), including cricketer Yuvraj Singh, today staged a demonstration at the new crossing on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway demanding a ban on dumping of garbage in the vicinity of the posh residential area.

Carrying banners and wearing masks to highlight their plight, the residents, including top corporate honchos, celebrities, eminent lawyers, CAs and doctors, assembled at the crossing to draw the attention of the HUDA authorities towards their failure to provide them respite from the menace. For the past two years, the residents have been forced to put up with foul smell emanating from the illegal garbage site, spread over 60 acres of protected forest land. More than 325 tonnes of garbage are dumped at the site daily.

“Besides ruining the landscape, the illegal dumping of garbage is also a serious health hazard. What is more shocking is that this illegal activity is being done by the government agency,” rued Subinder Khanna, head, NCR Region, Cognizant (a Nasdaq 100 company). The residents’ plight could be well gauged from the fact that Yuvraj Singh, a resident of the area, too, became part of the demonstration even at the risk of being mobbed by fans. “The authorities should respond positively to the concern shown by the residents and stop this illegal activity. It is a pity that we have to live in this life-threatening situation. I feel this demonstration will wake up the authorities as they have done nothing to solve the problem so far,” he told reporters.

This is not the first time that the residents have hit the streets. They have organised such demonstrations in the past, besides making written and personal representations to the authorities concerned, but to no avail. “Concerned residents have assembled to express their anguish about a major public health hazard. We hope that the demonstration will spur the administration to take urgent corrective action to stop this mindless destruction of our environment. We also hope that it will highlight the issue of waste disposal for a long-term solution, and much overdue investment in a solid waste incinerator,” said Hardeep Singh, chairperson, Amalgamated Plantations. The areas around the illegal dump have reported many cases of children suffering from respiratory problems.

Ambika Agarwal, who is actively involved in organising the protests so far, said the demonstration would be followed up with various other peaceful methods to put pressure on the authorities if they did not respond positively. Meanwhile, the residents have launched a signature campaign to mobilise more support for the cause.

Chandigarh, September 22
The preponement of the procurement season of bajra for Haryana has not just meant a windfall for farmers of the state bit it has also made the state a hot destination for bajra growers from the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

In order to prevent these farmers from neighbouring states to dump their produce here, the Haryana government has set up border check-posts to ensure that they are unable to bring their produce here. However, these farmers are either bringing bajra through alternative routes or during night hours, when there is no vigil.

Farmers from the two states are reportedly bringing their produce to mandis in Haryana in order to sell it at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 840 per quintal. The reason that all bajra produce in the region is reaching Haryana is that bajra is being procured here by the government agencies at Rs 840 per quintal, whereas in the neighbouring states, the farmers are being forced to sell their produce at Rs 650 to Rs 700 per quintal.

Interestingly, the market price of bajra is only around Rs 700 per quintal. There is an increase of Rs 140 a quintal between the prevailing market price and the MSP. Since procurement by government agencies in these neighbouring states is expected to begin only in the first week of October, they are bringing their produce here.

Officials also suspect that a number of commission agents in the state, who had purchased bajra at the market price (before the procurement began on September 12), are now selling these at a higher MSP to the government agencies. This means that the farmers had to sell at Rs 670- Rs 750 per quintal to these agents, who in turn are making a neat profit by further selling bajra at the MSP.

Officials in the food and civil supplies department, Haryana, said so far 46,548 quintals of bajra had arrived in 10 mandis of the state. The maximum arrivals have so far been seen in Sonepat (8,928 quintals) and Rewari (8,442 quintals).

The HAFED, Haryana Warehousing Corporation (HWC) and the Haryana Agro have managed to lift the maximum stocks while the intervention of the food and civil supplies department and Confed has so far been restricted to just one mandi each, Narnaul and Sonepat, respectively.

Fatehabad, September 22
Villagers blocked traffic near the residence of parliamentary secretary Paramvir Singh against the failure of the police to take action against the in-laws of a woman, who has been missing for the past 20 days.

The villagers lifted the blockade only after the police assured to arrest the in-laws.

Savita, a married woman from Madhoana village, had disappeared from her residence 20 days ago.

Her parents from Parta village had lodged an FIR against the in-laws.

Today, a number of villagers from Parta assembled in front of the residence of Paramvir Singh and raised slogans against the police. They alleged that the police had been adopting a soft attitude towards the in-laws of the woman and had not arrested them though an FIR had been registered.

The villagers lifted the blockade when DSP Chander Singh assured to arrest the accused within a day.

Ambala, September 22
The Muslim minority in the state has a reason to cheer as the Haryana Wakf Board has decided to increase the pension and scholarships for the needy.

Widows, orphans, physically-disabled and old people will now be given a pension of Rs 500 per month in place of Rs 250 per month. The number of people being given pension has also been increased from 1,484 to 2,250. In all, the Wakf Board will disperse Rs 1 crore as pension. Earlier, Rs 29.94 lakh was being given away as pension.

Mohinder Kumar, commissioner, Ambala, and administrator, Haryana Wakf Board, said the pension was being increased keeping inflation in mind. The pension would be given from September 1.

Scholarships being given to needy students have also been increased. Scholarships were earlier being given in three categories, which have now been changed. Scholarships for students in classes XI, XII and polytechnics have been increased to Rs 5,000 from Rs 2,400 per year. Graduate students will be given Rs 6,000 as scholarship in place of Rs 3,000 while a new category has been created for students doing their postgraduation in MA, LLB and MSc. They will be given Rs 8,000 as scholarship while those pursuing MBA/MBBS/Btech will get Rs 10,000 as scholarship. Only those students can avail the scholarships whose family’s annual income is less than Rs 1 lakh. As of now, 304 students are availing scholarships from the Wakf Board.

In an effort to reach out to more needy people, other incentives have also been initiated. The Wakf Board plans to open 100 art and craft centres in villages dominated by Muslims. These centres will provide free of cost six-month training to girls, who at the end of the course will be given a sewing machine and a certificate. Similarly, tie-ups with private computer centres to provide education in computers funded by the Wakf Board for the needy students is also on anvil.

“We will be identifying people and places in the state where this will be started and by next month we will begin work,” said Kumar.

In another first-of-its-kind initiative by the board, a state-level sports meet will be organised for Muslims of the state in Ambala sometime later this year. District-level meets will be held before that. A final date will be decided by next month.

Efforts are also on to provide medical aid to the needy by forming some sort of tie-up with private clinics. “We only have one dispensary in the state. Thus, we are keen to identify private clinics where Muslims can avail medical benefits,” added Kumar.