Chandigarh, December 23
The Haryana cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, decided to exempt biomass rolls (briquettes) from VAT. It also reduced VAT from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent on components, accessories and spare parts of firearms, other weapons and ammunition, weapon systems, etc sold to ordnance depots and other establishments of the Ministry of Defence. It also exempted raw seeds used in the production of “truthfully labelled” or “certified seeds” from VAT.

VAT will be reduced from 12 per cent to 10 per cent on rough stone sold by dealers from April 1, 2003, to November 8, 2004. However, where tax had been charged at the rate of 12 per cent, the same would be treated as collected and paid.

The cabinet also exempted prefabricated house units for plant and machinery sold to the Naandi Foundation by suppliers in the state from VAT. It will entail a loss of Rs 30 lakh.

It also exempted the cooperative transport societies from the payment of additional interest up to 2 per cent provided they had paid interest on the outstanding amount of passenger tax within a month with effect from April 13, 2008, or within a month of the date of notification.

The cabinet approved an amendment to the Punjab Entertainment Duty Rules, 1956, to delete the requirement of wearing uniforms by all serving soldiers, sailors and airmen for enjoying exemption from the payment of entertainment duty.

Persons whose land has been acquired for setting up the Rajiv Gandhi Education City project will now have the freedom to opt either for the general rehabilitation policy, the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Land Owners-Land Acquisition Oustees’ Policy notified by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department on December 7, 2007, or for relief specially decided for the oustees of Rajiv Gandhi Education City. This freedom was granted by the cabinet.

The general rehabilitation policy envisages the allotment of plots of different sizes to each of the co-sharers depending on his share in the land holding as well as one commercial booth to all co-sharers plus annuity at the rate of Rs 15,000 per acre per annum for 33 years over and above the usual land compensation. The annual annuity will be increased by Rs 500 per acre every year.

As per the special relief decided for the oustees of the education city, the land owners whose land above 1,000 sq yd and less than 1 acre has been acquired are given plots measuring 100 sq yd, while those whose land above 1 acre to 5 acres has been acquired are given plots measuring 500 sq yd. Similarly, two plots of 500 sq yd are given to those land owners whose land above 5 acres has been acquired.

The cabinet approved the draft Haryana Fire Services Ordinance, 2008, to create a separate directorate of fire services so that the state can have a unified and effective fire service. At present, the fire services are being maintained by different departments like the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, the Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, the Agricultural Marketing Board, the State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, the Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation and the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

Cinema houses, five star hotels, large commercial complexes, multistorey non-residential buildings, large oil and natural gas installations, open stadiums and hospitals with more than 500 beds will have to appoint a fire safety officer.

It approved the upgradation of Indri tehsil to subdivision in Karnal district and the creation of Manesar tehsil in Gurgaon district.

The cabinet decided to forward the Code of Criminal Procedure (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2008, to the Union Government for its concurrence before introducing of the bill in the state legislature. The amendment to Section 167 and Section 273 of the Criminal Procedure Code is required to introduce videoconferencing in jails and courts.

Chandigarh, December 23
The Bhiwani police firing incident which left two men dead in Kharak village on December 18 is inching towards a quiet burial. As expected, the sangharsh samiti of villagers led by Lt-Col Baghrawat (retd) today gave in writing to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda that they did not favour a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Speaking to The Tribune after a meeting with the Chief Minister, Col Baghrawat said they had realised that a judicial inquiry would be a time-consuming exercise which would serve little purpose.

“Almost the entire village is behind us in this decision. We had sought a judicial inquiry into the firing incident in the heat of the moment without really considering the option. Also, the entire matter gradually became politicised and we decided to withdraw our demand,” he said.

Reluctant to disclose what the villagers wanted now in place of the judicial probe, he added that the samiti members, who had come to Chandigarh today, would reach Bhiwani and hold a meeting with the villagers tomorrow to decide the future course of action and demands.

“The decision to press for a judicial inquiry was taken yesterday evening. We immediately called up the Chief Minister last night and told him that we did not want to press for a judicial probe anymore. He readily agreed and said it was entirely up to us. We gave in writing that we didn’t want the probe and we are satisfied with the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police,” he maintained.

Chandigarh, December 23
Haryana government employees are all set to get a New Year’s gift from their employer. Chief secretary Dharamvir, who headed the committee constituted to give its recommendations for the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission report for Haryana government employees, submitted its report to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here this evening.

Hooda has convened a cabinet meeting on December 29 to consider the report so that the new pay scales can be implemented from the first day of the New Year.

The Chief Minister had already announced that the employees would get enhanced salaries from January 2009. The chief secretary said the committee had fulfilled its promise made to the Chief Minister for submitting its report as early as possible.

Finance minister Birender Singh; power minister Randeep Singh Surjewala; principal secretary to the Chief Minister M.L. Tayal; financial commissioner and principal secretary, finance, Ajit M. Sharan; member of the committee P.K. Das; and OSD to the Chief Minister K.V. Singh were also present when the report was submitted.

Panipat, December 23
Just a couple of days after an eight-year-old boy was kidnapped while waiting for his school bus from one of the posh localities of the city, a 12-year-old girl was shot at while she was retuning home from school this afternoon.

The girl, Priyanka, a student of class VIII at the Huda DAV School, was returning to her house in ward number 9 along with other children in a rickshaw when she was shot at by some persons.

The incident took place near the school. The bullet first hit Priyanka in her right arm and then pierced her stomach causing grievous injuries. Priyanka fell unconscious. She was taken to a private hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, the girl was shot at by some persons who were travelling in a Maruti van. The assailants immediately fled.

A team of police officials which reached the hospital told newsmen that a plastic bullet hit the girl. They said the matter was still being investigated.

The doctors who operated on the girl said her condition was stable. The girl later gave a statement to the police in which she said that while coming back home she was hit by a bullet and started bleeding profusely after which she fell unconscious.She could not remember anything after that.

The police has registered a case against unidentified persons.

Fatehabad, December 23
Three youths, who had gone for a dinner at a hotel on the local Hisar road, were allegedly beaten up by the owner of the hotel and their workers last night.

Two of the injured persons have been shifted to Hisar as they were critically injured.

The hotel owner, however, maintained that the youths intimidated the hotel staff after they were told that dinner timings were over.

The police has booked hotel owner Pawan Kumar and some waiters under Sections 324, 148 and 149 of the IPC.

Bhupinder Singh, who has been admitted to the local general hospital, told the police that he and his friends had gone to Kalu Ram’s, a hotel on the Hisar road, for having dinner. However, the waiters stopped supplying eatables after some time.

“When we complained to the hotel owner, he too started abusing us and after a verbal exchange of words, Pawan along with some waiters attacked us,” he alleged.

Denying the allegations, Pawan Kumar alleged that the youths took out their revolver when the waiters told them that dinnertime was over.

Yamunanagar, December 23
An anonymous call from Pakistan to an insurance adviser of Sadhaura to change his religion has created panic among local residents here. After a preliminary inquiry, the police today registered a case under section 295-A in the Sadhaura police station. Incidentally, similar calls were reportedly received by a shopkeeper of Fatehabad and a resident of Jind.

The police said Gurcharan of Sharwan Ki Tapri had lodged a complaint that he had received missed call from the number (923445166413). Later, when he called back, he was abused by the person at the other end regarding his religion. The person asked him to change his religion and used abusive language against his religion. Gurcharan reported the matter to the police.

Gurcharan had received the first call in August. Thereafter he had received three more calls from the same number, the police said.

SHO Jagdish Chander said after receiving a complaint, the police conducted a preliminary inquiry and found that the call was received from Pakistan. “After consulting the district attorney, we have registered a case against an anonymous person under section 295-A for hurting the religious sentiments of Gurcharan,” he said.

Gurgaon, December 23
The police has arrested the schoolteacher accused of molesting and driving a minor girl of Pahari village in the district to suicide.

The girl’s body was found hanging from a tree near her house yesterday. Her father had lodged a complaint with the police a few days ago, alleging that a teacher at his daughter’s school had been molesting her.

The police, however, swung into action only after the girl’s death. Top officials of the forensic science laboratory visited the site where the girl’s body was found hanging.

A case of driving the girl to suicide was registered against the teacher, Ravinder Chauhan, of Happy Child Public School in Khode village in the Pataudi area of the district. The police today arrested the teacher and produced him in a local court, which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.

Karnal, December 23
The local Duty Magistrate today remanded rape and murder accused Satish, a resident of Mukhali village in the Indri area of Karnal district, in four days’ police custody.

Satish, who was arrested from the village yesterday, tried to commit suicide by consuming poison as the news of he being a suspect reached him. He was taken to a hospital in Indri where he reportedly confessed to the crime. He was later shifted to the Karnal Civil Hospital in a critical condition.

The police registered a case of rape and murder against him under sections 302 and 376 of the IPC and also added section 309 for attempting suicide. A six-year-old girl from the village was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered by Satish and her bare body was recovered from a dry canal in Dhanora. After preliminary investigations, Satish was identified as the suspected accused and arrested. The police suspected the involvement of another person in the crime and was waiting for Satish to recover and join the investigation, SSP AC Chawla said.

Rohtak, December 23
Preliminary examination by forensic experts has indicated that sulphur and potassium chloride were used in making the bomb which exploded yesterday injuring three persons in a residential area here, Rohtak SSP Alok Mittal said today.

Addressing a press conference here, the SSP said a case under sections 285 (endangering human life) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC and 3/4 of the Explosive Substances Act-1908 had been registered against unidentified persons in connection with the explosion. He said a combing operation had been carried out and hundreds of houses had been searched in the Housing Board Colony in HUDA Sector 1 where the explosion had occurred. — UNI