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Poll Pact
INLD-BJP pact unprincipled: Cong
INLD, BJP workers told to join hands
Tie-up welcomed by BJP workers: Swami
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Akalis promised ‘full autonomy’ to state’s Sikhs
BJP to contest 6 LS seats
Ambitious power plan for Rohtak
Devi Lal varsity teachers condemn attack
Attack on Lecturer
Govt docs resent delay in salary hike
Honda workers continue stir
Coal shortage at thermal plants
Intoxicants seized from chemist’s godown
Two killed in mishap
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Poll Pact
Faridabad, October 14 According to sources, it was on account of this doubt that BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani had proposed to Bishnoi to merge his party with the BJP. The proposal was made at a meeting between the two leaders about three days before the BJP-INLD alliance was announced. Advani also suggested that in case Bishnoi merged his party with the BJP, his party could consider the possibility of projecting him as its chief ministerial candidate during the next assembly elections in Haryana. However, Bishnoi turned down the proposal on the grounds that leaders of various political parties had joined the HJC and they were not ideologically compatible with the BJP. When the merger formula failed, Advani is learnt to have held out a second formula for his party’s alliance with the HJC. The formula was that the HJC would be given only two of the 10 parliamentary seats in the state. The two seats which the BJP was ready to part with were Hisar and Gurgaon. Another component of the formula was that in the subsequent assembly elections in Haryana, the BJP and the HJC should share 45 seats each. Bishnoi turned down the second formula. He proposed that in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and the HJC should contest equal number of of seats. With regard to the subsequent assembly elections, he rooted in favour of giving only 18 of the 90 assembly seats to the BJP in the state. When the two formulae failed, Advani is said to have offered a third one, which was also turned down by Bishnoi at the same meeting. The formula was that in order to prevent a split in votes, the BJP, the HJC and the INLD should join hands, at least for the Lok Sabha elections. According to political analysts, apprehensions among a section of the BJP regarding Bishnoi’s possible stand vis-a-vis the Congress led the party to decide in favour of the INLD. In fact, recently at a meeting of senior BJP leaders from Haryana with Advani in the national capital, many of them mentioned that they were not sure about Bishnoi’s future stand with regard to the Congress. |
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INLD-BJP pact unprincipled: Cong
Rewari, October 14 Addressing a press conference here today, HPCC spokesperson Ved Prakash Vidrohi said it was something surprising that INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala and BJP stalwart L.K. Advani, who were quite critical of each other’s political ways till the other day, were now singing paeans in each other’s praise apparently goaded by the lust of power. Asserting that while the BJP was relentlessly pursuing its communal agenda, Chautala, too, epitomised castiest and authoritarian politics, he described the alliance as unprincipled, opportunistic and power-esurient. Vidrohi said it was true that their electoral alliance in 1999 had catapulted the INLD on the power pedestal in the state, which regime lasted till 2005, but it must not be forgotten that the people of the state had then to pay a heavy price for such electoral “blunder”. He asserted that this time the “opportunistic and power-esurient” alliance between the INLD and the BJP would remain inconsequential for them both owing to the above-mentioned reasons while it would further strengthen the Congress which, he claimed, would come out victorious again in all 10 parliamentary constituencies of the state. Sonepat: Randeep Singh Surjewala, state power and public health minister, here said on Tuesday the alliance forged between the BJP and the INLD in the state was solely guided by political opportunism and the lust of L.K. Advani and Om Prakash Chautala for power. He pointed out that most of the BJP cadre in the state had openly expressed opposition against having alliance with the INLD. The BJP state party president, Atam Prakash Manchanda and BJP MP Kishan Singh Sangwan had openly criticised Chautala. “There is record available in the state assembly in which the BJP MLAs had termed Chautala as corrupt,” he claimed. Commenting that “In partiyon ke beech char bar shadi aur charon bar hi talaq hua hai” (These parties had married and divorced four times), he said such alliance was unprincipled and like in the past would not last long. Surjewala said as the Indira Gandhi Water Supply Scheme had also been extended for urban localities of the Scheduled Caste families also, around 10 lakh families in the state would be provided free water connection in their houses by the end of 2009-10. Four lakh families had already been provided and other three lakh would be connected by the end of this financial year, he added. In order to improve the sewerage and drinking water facilities and storm water drainage system in the town, a Rs 26 crore project had been submitted to the NCR Planning Board, he disclosed and hoped that the project would be sanctioned within three months and works would be completed within nine months. SIRSA: Former Haryana Minister and vice-president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Jagdish Nehra on Tuesday termed the newly formed alliance between the INLD and the BJP as a pact without faith on each other. Talking to mediapersons here, Nehra alleged that the two parties had entered into an alliance in the past too, only to break this after some time. He said since 1977, the BJP had forged alliances with the INLD or the earlier incarnations of this party several times, but their alliance has never lasted a full term. |
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INLD, BJP workers told to join hands
Sirsa, October 14 The relations between the workers of the two parties had touched a new low after the INLD pulled out of the NDA before the last parliamentary elections and the ties are still far from normal. Although INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala managed to forge an alliance with the BJP after parleys with the central leadership, it is an open secret that there is no love lost between the workers of the two parties at the grassroots level. With an aim to rebuild confidence between the workers of the two parties, the INLD leadership has directed its state unit as well as party functionaries active at the district and block level to take necessary steps to bridge the gap between them and the workers of the BJP, revealed sources. The district and block-level party functionaries have been directed to take the local BJP functionaries into confidence while planning any political activity, the sources said. The INLD functionaries have also been asked to issue joint press notes with the BJP functionaries, whenever the occasion demands. It was in this context that Ashok Arora, state president of the INLD, addressed a joint press conference with Atam Parkash Manchanda, state president of the BJP, at Sonepat on Monday. The INLD leadership also prevailed upon the BJP leadership to postpone its proposed October 31 Sonepat rally by a day to coincide with Haryana Day on November 1. A senior leader of the BJP and former minister told The Tribune on condition of anonymity that the party's rank and file understood that if the party had to enter into an alliance in Haryana, the INLD was the only party and there was no other alternative. “Five of the six candidates who are likely to get the party ticket for the forthcoming parliamentary elections have openly worked for the alliance, while the sixth one also knows his winning prospects have been brightened by the present alliance,” the BJP leader added. |
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Tie-up welcomed by BJP workers: Swami
Karnal, October 14 Wary of an adverse reaction from a section of the local leaders and the RSS, Swami addressed a press conference along with district president of the INDL Ram Kumar Abla at the latter's office and described the two parties as "natural allies", committed to ousting the Congress. Claiming that the state party leaders were consulted by the party high command before finalising the electoral alliance, Swami said the workers were happy as they wanted to see L.K.Advani as the Prime Minister. When asked about the number of Lok Sabha seats to be contested by the BJP, Swami said there were no preconditions from either side and the sharing of seats was yet to be decided. Swami, who was at a loss for words to defend the alliance with Chautala as the party had launched a tirade against Chautala in the past, said "no one is untouchable in politics. It is a game of possibilities". President of the Haryana Janhit Congress Kuldeep Bishnoi had recently said that the local BJP leaders were not in favour of an alliance with the INLD and in case they deserted the party on this issue, the HJC would welcome them. Swami expressed confidence that the alliance would win all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state and "weed out" the Congress, which had failed on all fronts. The NDA alone could provide a stable and performing government at the Centre in the present era of coalition governments, he stated. Setting the agenda for the poll, Swami lashed out at the UPA government for its failure to tackle terrorism, check prices and eradicate corruption and playing the communal card to woo Muslim and minority votes. The delay in the execution of Afzal Guru, the main accused in the Parliament attack case was a classic example of how the UPA government was compromising the security of the country and appeasing the Muslim fundamentalists for votes,he said He alleged that the UPA government was destroying our cultural heritage and traditions in a systematic manner and cited the examples of Ramsethu and the bitter controversy over land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. People of Jammu deserved all appreciation for launching a 65-day agitation to bring the government to its knees, he added. Although it was a joint press conference, all the talking was done by Swami, who did not hide his keenness to contest the election from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, saying that he had won the seat twice and would abide by the decision of the party high command. |
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Akalis promised ‘full autonomy’ to state’s Sikhs
Chandigarh, October 14 In return for “autonomy”, the ad hoc Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) has promised to accept the sovereignty of the Amritsar-based SGPC. The sources say after a number of rounds of talks between leaders of the HSGPC and representatives of the Punjab Akalis and the SGPC, what came out was that the HSGPC would get a sort of “dominion” status, with the SGPC having only notional control over its affairs. The talks between the two warring sides were held after adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Daljit Singh Cheema and Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra took the initiative and persuaded the HSGPC leaders to negotiate with the Akalis. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, too, talked to the HSGPC leaders and assured them that they would be given much more than their expectations; the only condition was that the Haryana Sikhs should not insist on an independent legal status for their committee and accept the sovereignty of the SGPC. The sources say initially a legal luminary of Punjab, who is considered to be the legal brain of the Akalis, opposed the grant of “autonomy”, saying that for this the All-India Gurdwara Act, 1925, would have to be amended. But he agreed when the Haryana Sikhs pointed out that when the country’s Constitution could be amended so many times, what was so sacrosanct about the act that it could not be amended. It is believed that Badal and Makkar also accepted the demand of the HSGPC that the control of all trusts set up by the SGPC in Haryana should also be given to it. After everything was sorted out and the HSGPC leaders returned to their state, certain misgivings again arose. The HSGPC announced on October 6 that it would resort to “direct action” and take over the historical Chhatti Patshahi Gurdwara at Kurukshetra on October 8. Cheema and Chandumajra again went to Kurukshetra and assured the Haryana Sikhs that their grievances would be removed before November 20. It was only after this assurance that the Haryana Sikhs decided to postpone their plan of taking “direct action” till November 20. |
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Alliance to launch oust-Cong drive
Rohtak, October 14 The drive will be launched at the BJP-INLD rally to be held in Sonepat on the occasion of Haryana Day on
November 1. This was stated by INLD general secretary Ajay Singh Chautala while interacting with members of the BJP and the INLD at the local residence of the state BJP general secretary, Capt Abhimanyu, here today. Ajay Chautala said the rally would be addressed by former Deputy Prime Minister and veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani, national BJP president and former union agriculture minister Rajnath Singh, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala and other senior leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). "Together, we (INLD) and the BJP will uproot the Congress regimes from the Centre as well as the state," he maintained. Meanwhile, at a press conference here today, HJC general secretary Subhash Batra said the alliance between the BJP and the INLD was the height of opportunism
and would make no difference. |
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BJP to contest 6 LS seats
Sonepat, October 14 Stating this, state president of the BJP Atam Prakash Manchanda told mediapersons here last night that the BJP was likely to contest the
Ambala, Karnal, Sonepat, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Rohtak Lok Sabha seats. The remaining four seats---
Kurukshetra, Bhiwani, Sirsa and Hisar--- would be left for the INLD. Ashok
Arora, president of the state unit of the INLD, who was present, refused to comment on the issue but said the NDA would contest all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state and win all of them.
— PTI |
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Ambitious power plan for Rohtak
Rohtak, October 14 As part of the plan, a 220 KV substation at Sampla and a 132 KV substation on the Hisar road, Rohtak, will be set up to meet the load requirements. Besides, new 33 KV substations will be established in Ritoli, Kharawar and Jindran villages of the district. Stating this here today, a UHBVN spokesman said it had also been planned to augment the existing capacity of the 220 KV substation in Rohtak by installing one more power transformer of 100 megavolt amperes capacity. At present, the substation had three transformers to transmit electricity to the consumers of Rohtak district, besides parts of Jhajjar and Sonepat. The proposed transformer would transmit power to the upcoming 132 KV substation, Beri, and the 132 KV substation, Mundlana. The UHBVN has also approved the construction of 33 KV substations at Officers’ Colony, Old Power House Colony and Anaj Mandi in Rohtak. The spokesman said the nigam authorities had decided to create the High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS) and the Aerial Bunched Cable-Based System (ABCBS) in three residential colonies and 13 villages of the district at a cost of over Rs 1 crore. "It will minimise damage to distribution transformers and interruptions, besides giving a new look to the areas concerned," he maintained. Referring to the segregation of load on 11 KV feeders supplying power to domestic and tubewell consumers, the spokesman said in the first phase, 32 feeders had been identified for the purpose. Work had been completed on 23 feeders so far. The consumers of 83 villages had been benefited. Work was in progress on nine feeders which was likely to be completed by December, he added. The spokesman further said that the nigam planned to release 319 new tubewell connections to the applicants during the current financial year. A system improvement action plan was being prepared to install new distribution transformers and replace undersize conductors and cables as per the technical requirements, he said, adding that it would be ensured that the grievances of consumers were attended to promptly at bijli sabhas every month. |
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First bulk foodgrain rake flagged off
Kaithal, October 14 Chairman and managing director of the Food Corporation of India Alok Sinha flagged off this rake for Adani’s field depot at Navi Mumbai. This specially designed rake is basically a state-of-the-art wagon loading system which allows wagons to be filled at the rate of 700 tonnes per hour. In fact, it takes just 2.5 minutes to fill a wagon. Equipment like high-level indicators, motorised and pneumatic-discharge gates, belt sway switchers and choke switchers ensure zero spillage during loading process. Adani Agri Logistics has specially designed “top loading bottom discharge” railcars to move foodgrains in bulk from storage depots to field depots quickly and without allowing any spillage. Once filled, these wagons can be sealed perfectly and not even moisture, leave alone insects and rodents, can enter. Bulk Food Rake is part of a foodgrain storage and transportation agreement which Adani Agri Logistics Ltd and the Food Corporation of India have signed for a period of 20 years. Under this agreement, Adani Agri Logistics is to provide ultra-modern storage and
transportation facilities to this public sector giant. The cost of the entire project is nearly Rs 600 crore. Adani Agri Logistics has established storage and handling infrastructure at over six places in various part of India. It has established two base depots at Kaithal in Haryana and Moga in Punjab. Both these depots have a capacity of storing 2 lakh tonnes of foodgrains each. Apart from this it has established field depots at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Navi Mumbai and Hoogly. Navi Mumbai has a storage capacity of 50,000 MT while all other field depots have capacity of 25,000 MT each. Apart from officials of the state government, state procuring agencies and the FCI, a number of farmers attended the ceremony. To encourage the farmers to bring their produce directly to these base depots, a special draw of lottery has been introduced. Results of this draw were also declared on this occasion and the first prize, a tractor, and five prizes of motorcycles were given during the function. These farmers have already been paid Rs 19.17 per quintal over and above the declared minimum support price. Talking to mediapersons, Alok Sinha described it a historic day for foodgrain handling and its transportation by rail in India. A.K. Chaturvedi, adviser, FCI; J.P. Sharma and Rakesh Garg, executive directors, FCI; Naveen Parkash, joint secretary, union food ministry; Arun Gupta, GM, FCI, Haryana circle; Vikas Gupta Kaithal DC; and Sultan Singh, SP, were among those present on the
occasion. |
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Devi Lal varsity teachers condemn attack
Sirsa, October 14 A meeting of the executive committee of the CDLUTA here also raised objections over the alleged misuse of the office of dean, academic affairs, of the university for raising funds for private functions. According to a release issued by the association, the meeting, which was presided over by Dr J.S. Jakhar and attended by Dr Umed Singh Yadav, Dr Rajesh Malik, Dr Rani Devi, Sultan Singh, Dr D.P. Warne, Dr Baljit Singh Yadav, Dr Raj Kumar Salar, Dr Raj Kumar Siwach and Mukesh Garg condemned the attack on the Kurukshetra University lecturer. The association alleged that antisocial elements had been roaming free on the CDLU campus and the university authorities had not been taking steps to check the activities of these elements. The executive committee also raised objections over a letter dated October 8, 2008, issued by the dean, academic affairs, of the university seeking contribution money from teachers for the felicitation of university vice-chancellor K.C. Bhardwaj, who had recently been conferred the Haryana Ratan award by an NGO. The association alleged that the office of dean could not be misused for collecting money for such private functions. Dean, academic affairs, Anu Shukla, however, said when contacted that the decision to raise collections was taken at a meeting of the deans and chairpersons of the university, which was attended by all except those from the law and public administration departments. She further said contribution for the function was not mandatory. She maintained that it was a matter of pride for the university that its vice-chancellor had been selected for the Haryana Ratan award.Most of the teachers were of the view that they should felicitate the vice-chancellor. She said that in the first place she was not aware of the existence of any CDLUTA. She further said that it was strange that some teachers had tried to politicise petty matters like this, while students had been setting an example by contributing funds for the farewell functions of their seniors. |
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Attack on Lecturer
Kurukshetra, October 14 Efforts to coordinate strategies between the police and the university administration were initiated at a meeting of officers and chairpersons of the university teaching departments to review the law and order situation on the campus in the wake of an assault on a lecturer, Vineet Kumar, by some unidentified persons on the campus here on October 7. The meeting was jointly addressed by district police chief K.V. Ramana and the vice-chancellor. Ramana enumerated the security measures being contemplated by the police to maintain peace on the campus. He said the police was in the process of preparing digital sketches of the culprits. He appealed the university fraternity to keep their cool and continue doing their duties to support the police endeavour. The vice-chancellor highlighted the steps being finalised by the university administration for the safety of the teachers. He also outlined the various pro-teacher resolutions adopted in the university executive committee meeting held here on October 11, which included raising the remuneration of teaching associates from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000, liberal grants to the teachers engaged in advanced research, renovation of all vacant houses before allotting them afresh to the teachers and promotion of teachers under the Career Advancement Scheme. Later in the evening, the vice-chancellor, at a meeting with senior officers of the university, finalised and approved the joint action plan involving active police support from outside the campus and round-the-clock vigil by new security personnel, equipped with modern gadgets of security management, hired from a reputed private agency. They will be on patrol on the campus. Besides, orders are being issued to disallow plying of vehicles in the vicinity of hostels. A provision is being made for central parking of all vehicles to minimise their movement on the campus. The plan also provides for restricting entry into the campus by identity cards to ensure that no unruly elements can infiltrate into the campus. Each department has been directed to collect the registration detail of the vehicle owned by the students and to be used by them on the campus for onward transmission to university security to keep a check on their identity. The entire security plan was discussed at a meeting between the vice-chancellor and the executive committee of the Kurukshetra University Teachers Association. |
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Follow Valmiki’s teachings, people exhorted
Sonepat, October 14 Reiterating the commitment of the state government to ensure socio-economic uplift of the Valmiki community, he said a number of steps had also been initiated to promote education among the children of the community. He announced a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh from his discretionary fund for the ashram. The Minister of State for Cooperation, Meena Mandal and parliamentary secretary Anil Thakar also addressed the gathering and announced grant of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, from their discretionary fund for the ashram. The AICC member, Sumitra Chauhan and several other Congress leaders also paid their tributes to Maharishi Valmiki. Kaithal: Maharishi Valmiki would always remain a source of inspiration to human beings as his teachings were relevant even today’s life said Naveen Jindal, MP, at a function held at Chanchal Giri Ashram here on Tuesday. He said though the government had taken number of steps for the uplift of SCs and STs, the members of this community should provide education to their children so that they could get better opportunity of employment. He announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for construction of building of the ashram and Rs 50,000 for setting up a gymnasium for youth. Tejinder Pal Mann MLA Pai said we all should follow the teachings of Maharishi Valmiki. |
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Govt docs resent delay in salary hike
Fatehabad, October 14 A meeting of the state executive committee of the HCMSA was held at the local general hospital.Dr Vijay Dahiya presided. Giving details of the meeting, Dr Randeep Singh Punia, vice- president of the association,said the association criticised the inordinate delay in the implementation of the Chief Minister's announcement. He maintained that the Chief Minister had announced a hike in the salaries of the government doctors on the floor of the House.But, the bureaucracy, he alleged, had been delaying the implementation of the announcement. He said the association had decided to meet Hooda soon in this connection. |
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Honda workers continue stir
Rewari, October 14 Meanwhile, on a complaint filed by B.K. Godara, assistant general manager of the factory, the police has registered a case of rioting, disobedience, causing hurt, criminal intimidation, mischief by fire and criminal conspiracy under sections 147, 148, 188, 323, 342, 506, 436, 511 and 120-B of the IPC against Ganesh Singh, president, and 14 other office-bearers and activists of the workers’ union. Police personnel are keeping a vigil at the main gate of the factory to avert any untoward incident. Meanwhile, according to a report from New Delhi, Hero Honda today said production at its Dharuhera plant, which was stopped yesterday due to workers' strike, resumed this morning. “Our plant at Dharuhera has resumed normal operations today,” the company said in a statement.“As a precautionary measure, we had kept the plant closed for a day on Monday, after a few casual workers, with instigation from external unsocial elements, had staged a sit-in, with the objective of disrupting operations,” it added. Sources, however, said only permanent employees had reported for work from this morning. “Of a total of about 4,500 workers, about 3,000 casual and contractual workers are still on strike since Sunday and we will not withdraw our agitation till our demands are met,” they added. |
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Coal shortage at thermal plants
Yamunanagar, October 14 People in the urban and rural areas are already facing power cuts of more than 10 hours every day. While the authorities are silent over the issue, reliable sources said the thermal plants in the state had been facing coal shortage due the non-supply of stocks from the Jharkhand mines. The DBCR thermal plant of 600 MW in the district requires 1,700 MT of coal every day to run its two units while 21,000 MT of coal is required to run the eight units of the Panipat thermal plant, the sources added. |
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Intoxicants seized from chemist’s godown
Sirsa, October 14 When the process to open the seals began today, the drug control officers were surprised to find a huge cache of pentazocain injections, alprazolam tablets, diazepam tablets and cough syrups containing strong quantities of codeine used as intoxicants by youths, from the first godown they opened. “We have recovered 30 cartons of intoxicants and psychotropic drugs and 83 cartons of other drugs from the godown, which is not registered with the Drug Department,” revealed an officer of the Drug Control Department. “As the owner of the godown was not having a license for the premises, the recovery of psychotropic substances will attract the provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act too besides the Drug and Cosmetic Act,” he added. He said the police had been informed and a request had been made to book the owner, who did not join inspection, under the NDPS Act. The drug control authorities have also taken nine samples from the godown. The godown is among the seven shops and two godowns, which have sealed by the drug authorities on October 6 when a group of chemists had allegedly attacked a raiding team of the drugs control officers. The police had registered criminal cases against some chemists for assaulting the raiding team. The chemists had gone on strike against the raids and criminal cases that had lodged against them. The raiding teams had sealed the shops and the godowns when they were stopped from inspecting on October 6. Meanwhile, no other shop or godown sealed on October 6 could be opened today as the process of recoveries from the first godown opened today was still continuing till late in the evening. |
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Two killed in mishap
Hisar, October 14 The district police had set up a temporary checkpost at Dabri village. When the Mahindra Pik Up was signalled to stop, its driver sped past the policemen. The van was carrying liquor. The police chased the van, whose driver tried to overtake the Bolero and collided with it. The Bolero overturned because of the impact, killing its driver and the havildar on the spot. Three others were injured in the mishap. |
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