Chandigarh, November 7
Haryana Sikhs are optimistic that the result of the talks with the Punjab Akalis over the issue of a separate gurdwara management committee, which can start after November 10, will be as per their wishes.

General-secretary of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (ad hoc) Didar Singh Nalvi said the date was yet to be fixed as per the convenience of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Amritsar-based SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.

Nalvi said if the response of Badal and Makkar during the first round of talks, held before the Gurta Gaddi Diwas celebrations, was any indication, the next round should see the “pulling down of the invisible Berlin wall, which has come up between the Sikhs of the two states during the past few years.”

Before the celebrations, it was decided that the issue of a separate gurdwara management committee for Haryana would be resolved to the satisfaction of the Haryana Sikhs between November 10 and 20.

The November 20 deadline is important. If a mutually acceptable solution is reached at, the terms and conditions of that solution has to be put before the general body of the SGPC, which is to meet on November 21. The next meeting of the general body is scheduled in March, when it has to pass the SGPC budget.

The executive committee of the HSGPC will meet tomorrow to formulate the agenda of the talks its representatives would hold with the Punjab Akalis. Badal and Makkar had reportedly agreed to the demand of the Haryana Sikhs that they would have full autonomy to manage their gurdwaras, but not under a separate committee. The SGPC would retain its control over them but would not interfere in their day-to-day affairs. The Haryana committee would virtually enjoy a “dominion” status.

Nalvi said modalities to hand over the control of the SGPC-run or sponsored trusts in Haryana to the Sikhs of that state were also to be chalked out.

He said Badal and Makkar had adopted a positive attitude towards the demands of the Haryana Sikhs. He said once the Haryana Sikhs got the autonomy to manage their gurdwaras, they would be able to open institutions of higher education as well as technical education, besides undertaking religious preaching.

The demand for a separate gurdwara management committee for Haryana got a boost after the Congress promised to consider it in its election manifesto. A committee under the chairmanship of Haryana agriculture minister H.S. Chatha was also constituted to ascertain the views of the Haryana Sikhs and submit its recommendations. The committee is yet to submit its report.

The Punjab Akalis, who initially opposed the move tooth and nail, later relented and held talks with the Haryana Sikhs.

Bhanu P. Lohumi adds from Karnal: Fissures have appeared in the HSGPC over the issue of “autonomy” to them under the overall control of the SGPC as reportedly offered by the Punjab Akalis.

Vice-president of the HSGPC Nawab Singh Singra said on Friday that the proposal of a “sub-committee” under the SGPC was totally unacceptable to the Haryana Sikhs, which would mean complete subservience to the SGPC.

He said the Haryana Sikhs wanted an independent body to manage the gurdwaras in the state and any attempt to suppress their aspirations would only vitiate the cordial atmosphere.

Chandigarh, November 7
In an interesting order, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), directed the Forest Department, Haryana, to initiate departmental proceedings against K.L. Minhas, chief conservator of forests, in Haryana, who had challenged the slow proceedings in a chargesheet against him wherein he was alleged of embezzlement. CAT ordered that if the department failed to do so, the proceedings shall stand quashed.

Pronouncing the orders, CAT said, “The present application was filed to challenge the chargesheet. Since the inquiry is more or less complete for Haryana and report is likely to be received any time, we do not feel it is necessary at this stage to interfere in the matter. The matter has already been delayed a lot.”

Elaborating on the delay, the tribunal held, “In the interest of justice, we feel it is necessary that the respondents should expedite the disciplinary proceedings and bring it to logical conclusion within a period of two months. In case the respondents fail to do so, the proceedings against the respondents shall stand quashed and set aside but this is subject to the condition that the applicant will also corporate in proceedings.”

Interestingly, the secretary of forest department is not a party but still CAT said, “Though the secretary of forest department is not a party, but in the interest of the justice, we may direct him to see that the matter is expedited within the time frame as per directions given by the court.”

Minhas had joined the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) on March 1, 1974, and was posted as chief conservator of forests, Haryana, in November 2001. He stated in the application that on realising the embezzlement of Rs 2,10,248 in Rewari Social Forestry Division during 2002, Minhas sought for explanation from the concerned officer.

The officer was suspended and also chargesheeted. Minhas stated that all of a sudden he was served a chargesheet wherein frivolous allegations pertaining to performance as conservator of forests, Rohtak, were made. He submitted a written reply to the secretary, (Forests), Haryana.

However, the inquiry officer appointed in the applicant’s case refused to conduct the inquiry, citing reasons that the relevant order of him being appointed as inquiry officer of the applicant’s case has been received without the copy of the charge memo and the written statement of the applicant.

Chandigarh, November 7
Determined to ensure expeditious and effective widening and maintenance of the highways, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear cost would be imposed on Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) officials for delay in removing electric poles and high tension electricity wires.

The Bench of Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Daya Chaudhary asked the Nigam managing director to remain present before the court on the next date of hearing to explain the delay in removing the poles and the cables near Zirakpur railway crossing.

He has also been asked to file a detailed affidavit to fix responsibility for the imposition of costs. The directions were issued after counsel for Himalaya Expressway Limited informed the court on the difficulties faced by the company.

Counsel said land handed over to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) by the Punjab government near the Zirakpur railway crossing was not free from dispute. He added Rs 3.71 crore was deposited with the Nigam, but initiative was not taken for the removal of poles and the high tension wires.

The company is undertaking the construction of Zirakpur-Parwanoo highway connecting Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, on BOT basis. The total length of the highway would be 28.690 km.

Karnal, November 7
LPG distributors today blamed oil companies for erratic supply of LPG and cautioned that the situation could turn for the worse in the coming days if adequate supply was not assured.

The All-India LPG Distributors Federation (North-western region), which met here to take stock of the situation, alleged that oil companies, which fixed targets for increasing LPG connections in 2004, were dragging their feet and curtailing the supply of domestic LPG cylinders, creating a shortage.

The distributors demanded that the oil companies should either ensure need-based supply or fix a quota so that the supplies could be regulated and the customers could be informed about the waiting period.

The president of the federation, Capt K.J.S. Buttar, alleged that the oil companies were restricting the supply of domestic cylinders, but forcing the distributors to stock commercial cylinders.

A commercial cylinder, weighing 19 kg, cost Rs 1,213 compared to a 14 kg domestic cylinder which cost Rs 337 and the allegation of the oil companies that domestic cylinders were being misused was “untenable”, he said, adding that it is for the oil companies and the government departments concerned to check the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders.

Buttar said presuming that a domestic cylinder lasted 21 days, the minimum requirement for 12,000 customers worked out at 18,000 cylinders while the supply was only 8,000 cylinders per month.

The total annual consumption of domestic cylinders was 76 crore while the LPG consumption had increased from 1 lakh tonne in 1970 to over 1.10 crore tonnes in 2007 and the oil companies, which encouraged use of LPG heaters and generator sets, should take effective steps to regulate the supply, he added.

The federation urged the oil companies to ensure equitable supply to all distributors so that the shortage, if any, was also equally distributed.

Karnal, November 7
More than 63 years after the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in atom bombing in August 1945, the Buddhist country of Japan, also known as the Land of the Rising Sun, will have the first statue of Mahatma Gandhi, known the world over as an “apostle of peace and non-violence”.

The life-size bronze statue will be installed at the non-descript city of Suginami on the outskirts of Tokyo as a mark of respect to the Mahatma. The 6-foot tall statue, sculptured by renowned sculptor Ram Savtar, was handed over to visiting Suginami Mayor Hiroshi Yamada by Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit at her residence yesterday.

The idea to have a statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed in Japan came to the mind of Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, who was surprised to note during her visit to Japan that there was no statue of the Mahatma in the country.

The president of Akhil Bharatiya Rachnatmak Samaj, Dayal Singh, returned here after the presentation of the statue to the Suginami Mayor.

Karnal, November 7
Call it superstition or insanity, Kanta, a resident of Anand Vihar locality here, has been forced to abort her child eight times allegedly by her in-laws since she was married to Vijay 12 years ago.

Her brother, Sanjay, lodged a complaint yesterday in the Sadar police station after she disappeared from her parents’ place where she had gone to avoid another abortion.

Vijay, husband of the victim, also accompanied Sanjay to the police station for filing the complaint, indicating that he disapproved of the action of his parents.

Kanta alleged that her in-laws were deeply under the influence of some “tantriks” who had convinced them that their son would die if a child was born to his wife.

She alleged that whenever she was expecting, her in-laws allegedly gave her some substance in food, resulting in an abortion.

This happened seven times and this time she went to her parents’ home to save her child, but her in-laws allegedly abducted her from the locality around 11.30 am yesterday and took her to some lonely place which looked like a “dera”.

She was kept under illegal confinement for the night at the “dera” where two babas were also present. One of the babas forced her to swallow some substance in a “taveez” that led to her eighth abortion. Later, her in-laws brought her to Karnal and left her near the bus stand, she alleged.

However, the police said a simple complaint was filed about disappearance of Kanta, who was recovered this morning and admitted to a hospital.

However, she left the hospital in the evening without informing the police. It appeared to be a case of family feud and the matter was being investigated, the police added.

Fatehabad, November 7
The police today claimed to have solved the mystery of disappearance and murder of a youth, Vinod, five days before he was to get married, on October 30 at Badopal village in this district.

The police has arrested a woman, Ram Snehi, who lives near Vinod’s residence; Ram Snehi’s husband Krishan and Krishan’s brother Hanuman in connection with his murder and disposing of his body.

Saurabh Singh, SP, Fatehabad, told mediapersons today that Vinod had disappeared from his residence in the morning of October 30 and later his body was recovered from a canal near Pilimandori village with injury marks.

The police, led by Yogesh Kumar, SHO of the Sadar police station, was working on several theories, when it learnt that Vinod allegedly had illicit relations with Ram Snehi.

When the police asked her about Vinod, she told the police that he had come to her residence on October 30 but left after he received a call on his mobile.

The police, who got suspicious from her conduct, took samples of the soil from her residence and when the soil was tested in the forensic science laboratory, it tested positive for presence of blood in it.

Saurabh Singh informed that the police interrogated the woman after rounding her up and she confessed to the crime. Ram Snehi told the police that Vinod came to her residence to demand back Rs 25,000 lent by him earlier.

When she expressed her inability to return the money, Vinod allegedly tried to snatch her earrings. Ram Snehi allegedly hit Vinod with an axe that hit him on the neck and he fell on the spot.

The woman allegedly gave two more blows to Vinod, killing him on the spot. The woman hid Vinod’s body in the house and called her husband Krishan and revealed everything to him.

Krishan informed his brother Hanuman about it and sought his help in disposing of the body. The three took Vinod’s body in a pick-up of Hanuman to the Badopal canal and threw the body in it.

Gurgaon, November 7
Parliamentarians and the Haryana CM-XI will play the third cricket match at Ch Surender Singh Memorial Cricket Pavilion here on November 8.

The match is being organised in the memory of Ch Surender Singh. The match is being organised for the third time and it started after the death of Surender Singh in an air crash on March 31, 2005.

At that time he was agriculture minister in the present Hooda government. Since the birthday of late Surender Singh is on November 15, the match is being organised this month after fixing time with the Chief Minister.

The day-night match is scheduled to begin at 4 pm and will be telecast live on DD Sports. Parliamentarians from nine political parties are expected to participate in the match. Deputy commissioner Deepti Umashankar announced this at a meeting here.

Sirsa, November 7
The youth wing of the Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) today held a demonstration against the state government on the issue of the killing of a student, Kuldeep, by the police in Bhiwani.

Neeru Bajaj, president of the urban wing, and Sukhdev Bhadu, president of the rural wing of the party, led the demonstration.

The youth wing of the HJC (BL) gave a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to be forwarded to the President of India. The party also burnt an effigy of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Bhiwani: Deepender Singh Hooda, MP, said here on Thursday that strict action would be taken against the police personnel responsible for the death of Kuldeep in a firing incident in Bhiwani.

He expressed shock and grief over the death. He said he would ensure all possible help to the bereaved family from the state government. If the family of the victim wanted, the government could also order a CBI probe into the matter, he added.

Haryana forest, tourism, environment, sports and youth affairs minister Kiran Choudhary also expressed grief and said fair investigation would be done in the matter.

She said besides financial help, a government job would also be provided to a member of the victim’s family.

Sonepat, November 7
Sultan, driver with the Haryana Roadways depot, Sonepat, was allegedly beaten up with sticks by motorcycle-borne miscreants at a bus stop of Khera Kheri village on the Jind- Gohana road this morning.

The police has registered a case against the assailants, who reportedly fled the spot after the incident.

The incident took place when Sultan was on his way to Gohana from Jind. When he reached the village bus stop, some miscreants broke the windowpanes and allegedly attacked the driver with sticks.

However, the driver was saved by passengers and people at the bus stop. President of the Gohana Sub-depot Roadways Union Ashok Kumar has demanded arrest of the miscreants suspected to be men of the owner of the Baroda Cooperative Bus Service.

Deputy commissioner Vijay Singh Dahiya imposed the complete ban. The orders have prohibited all from using and selling coloured polythene bags.