Chandigarh, December 24
The Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) has decided to postpone the main examination of the HCS (Judicial), which was scheduled to be held from December 28, by four weeks.

This decision was taken by the commission today in pursuance of an understanding reached between the state government and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

According to informed sources, the understanding was reached at a meeting between the Selection and Appointment Committee of the high court and representatives of the Haryana government held on December 22.

Among those who attended the meeting were Justice K.S. Garewal, Justice M.M. Kumar, Justice Surya Kant, Chief Secretary Dharam Vir, Advocate-General Hawa Singh Hooda and Chairman of the HPSC B.B. Batra.

The high court had been making appointments to the HCS (Judicial) as well as the PCS (Judicial) for the past few years.

Last year also Haryana had entrusted the HCS (Judicial) appointments to the high court in pursuance of the apex court judgement in Malik Mazhar Sultan versus UP Public Service Commission.

This year also the high court asked Haryana to entrust the recruitment process of the HCS (Judicial) to it.

However, on the basis of a clarification given by the Supreme Court in the Malik Mazhar Sultan case, Haryana entrusted the recruitment to the HCS (Judicial) to the HPSC this year.

The HPSC conducted a screening test on November 16 last and 830 candidates qualified to take the main examination.

The apex court judgement had said that in cases where the states were not prepared to entrust the selection process to the high courts, the setting of question papers and evaluation of the answersheets must be done by the high courts.

In view of this order, the high court committee and representatives of the state government agreed that the conduct of the written examination and evaluation of the answersheets would be done by the high court.

The interview of the qualified candidates would be conducted by the HPSC, in which three high court judges nominated by the Chief Justice would be associated.

The state government would also file an application before the Supreme Court seeking its approval of the understanding.

Chandigarh, December 24
It was time for some hard talk by Haryana Minister of State for Environment and Forests Kiran Choudhry, peeved about the continuing illegal mining in the Aravallis and the inability of the officials to curb it despite directions.

Presiding over the seventh meeting of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board here today, she ordered immediate “shifting” of regional officer, Faridabad, OP Dahiya for failing to keep a check on mining in his area.

In the first meeting after the time she was divested of her environment portfolio, which was later given back, she came down harder on the officers for protecting defaulters and warned them against misrepresentation of facts and being lackadaisical in their duties.

She said she had received a number of complaints, some accompanied by affidavits, against field officers who had been harassing the public by misusing the pollution control guidelines while hinting that departmental action or inquiries could be initiated if they fail to mend their ways.

Meanwhile, HPCB officials said notices had been issued to 159 and five prosecution cases have been filed against the defaulters so far for mining in the Aravallis.

Board chairman AS Chahal missed the meeting citing engagement with the Chief Minister. Choudhry asked the officers of the board to prepare a list of all plastic bag manufacturers not conforming to the standard of making carry bags above 30 microns and take steps to completely ban the use of plastic bags in the state.

She directed all regional officers to appoint environment wardens in each ward to keep a check on the use of plastic bags and products and create awareness against the use of plastic.

Chandigarh, December 24
The Haryana Excise and Taxation Department has asked the organisers of marriages, parties, functions and dinners to obtain a temporary licence in form L-12A from the deputy excise and taxation commissioner concerned of the district in advance to organise the function.

He said the applicant would be required to disclose the quantity of liquor (CL and IMFL separately) which would be consumed during the period of grant of the licence.

The licence for all premises other than an individual's own house or private premises would be granted on the payment of a fee of Rs 1,500 per day per function.

An individual need not seek permission for serving liquor in his own house within the possession limit. — PTI

Chandigarh, December 24
Justice Rajesh Bindal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has, on his own, taken up the issue of release of the acquired land owned by a senior IAS officer of Haryana, RN Prashar, and urged the Chief Justice to constitute a Bench for hearing the case.

He yesterday issued notices to the state government, the Chief Administrator, HUDA, and Prashar for February 10.

Referring to the high court’s decision in the Mirdula Joshi versus Haryana case decided on December 12 last, in which the court had struck down the government’s decision to release the acquired land owned by former IAS officer RS Malik, and certain other cases, Justice Bindal said once the land was acquired it could be disposed of only as per law.

With regard to Prashar’s case, the Judge said: “In my opinion, it is a matter of public importance which is required to be dealt with on judicial side so that confidence of people in the organs of the state is not eroded, where for grant of relief to certain selected set of people, powers are exercised in a totally arbitrary manner giving the go-by to the statutory provisions of law.”

In his 10-page order, Justice Bindal said Prashar owned 5 kanals and 14 marlas in Bhainsa Tibba village in Sector 4 of Mansa Devi Complex. The process to acquire it started in September 1997.

After Prashar filed objections, 320 sq yards were released on the recommendation of the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO).

Prashar’s pleas for the release of the remaining land were rejected by the government in 1999 and 2000. In 1999, a writ petition filed by the officer was also dismissed by the high court.

On May 5, 2000, Prashar wrote to the then Commissioner and Secretary, Town and Country Planning, SC Chaudhary, requesting him to the bring the relevant file to the notice of the then Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, who seemed to have assured him that the earlier decision would be reviewed.

The matter was placed before a ministerial committee and 2,035 sq metre land was released. After the LAO announced the award for the land, Prashar moved the high court against it.

While his appeal was still pending, he again wrote to the Commissioner, Town and Country Planning, in 2005, regarding the release of his land.

The Judge noted that despite the opinion expressed by Director, Urban Estates, SS Dhillon that the government had no power to release the land once the possession had been taken by it, the government released the land on the condition that Prashar would return the compensation amount along with interest.

The Judge said Prashar’s plea that he had purchased the land to construct a house was being raised in thousands of cases in which plots of small dimensions owned by lower segments of society were acquired but never left out of acquisition.

Bhiwani, December 24
An 11-member committee, constituted by villagers after the Kharak police firing incident, today said it would not hold any agitation or mahapanchayat till the completion of the inquiry constituted by the government.

At a press conference here, the chairman of the committee, Lt-Col Baghrawat Singh, said the committee had been reconstituted and no outsider had been inducted in it.

Reacting to the reported statements of contractor Ved Pal Tanwar that a statewide agitation would be launched against the Kharak firing incident, he said “the committee has no business with his statements and these are his (Ved Pal’s) personal comments”.

Stating that only senior villagers of Kharak had been kept in the committee, he said that the “matter will not be politicised in any manner”.

Assuring all cooperation to the inquiry commission, he said no agitation or mahapanchayat would be organised till the inquiry was completed.

He said the Chief Minister had assured the committee members, who had called upon the former in Chandigarh yesterday, that justice would be done in the case.

Karnal, December 24
Panic gripped the busy Kunjpura road in the town today as people suspected that a bomb may have been planted in an abandoned suitcase placed on a scooter parked on the roadside.

The VIP suitcase, with a number lock, was found on the scooter of Amit Kumar, who had parked it in a gully between two shops - Suvidha and Sant Garments - while he had gone to a bank.

On returning he was astonished to see the suitcase and enquired from the nearby shopkeepers about it and when no one came forward to claim the suitcase, fear and panic gripped the people.

Suspecting that a bomb may be planted in the suitcase, people informed the police. DSP Surinder reached the spot and a bomb disposal squad was called from Madhuban. People heaved a sigh of relief when the suitcase was found empty.

Recently a hoax call was made to the police control room regarding a blast in a market in Sector 15.

“The officials concerned have assured us of prompt and appropriate action regarding the issue. However, if they fail to take action by Friday, we will be forced to chalk out a different course of agitation,” he maintained.

The Governor also presented certificates to villagers and teachers for their contribution in improving the standard of education in Patoudi area.

Jhajjar, December 24
Now, patients in government hospitals in the state need not buy the prescribed medicines from chemists.

The government has decided to make available all medicines free of cost to the patients in hospitals in order to improve the quality of healthcare.

A communication in this regard has recently been sent to all district health authorities with a direction to execute this ambitious plan at the earliest.

The government has released adequate funds to the district health authorities for purchasing the medicines.

According to sources, a list of over 100 medicines required in various ailments has been prepared by the Jhajjar health authorities in order to complete the purchase process as early as possible.

A provision for constituting a purchase committee has been made to avoid any discrepancy in the purchase of the medicines.

Doctors have been restricted from prescribing medicines which are not available in
the hospitals.

They will only be able to prescribe medicines from outside in case of an emergency, that too with the permission of the Civil Surgeon.

Action would be initiated against those violating the rule. The sources said the district heath authorities had also been directed to ensure proper maintenance and cleaning of hospitals.

At present, patients have to purchase most of the medicines by spending from their own pocket owing to a scarcity of medicines at the hospital store.

Most of the hospitals in the state were not able to cater to the medicine needs of all patients due to insufficient funds.

However, the government had now released sufficient funds for the purpose, said a
health officer.

Yamunanagar, December 24
Subhas Chand of Jatlana was murdered today allegedly by four persons of the same locality following a minor dispute here.

The police has registered a case against the four - Ram Kishan, Karan Singh, Hari Ram and his wife Raj Kumari.

The incident took place when Subhas Chand had heated arguments with his neighbours over a drainage pipe dispute.

The four allegedly threw bricks and stones at Subhas Chand, injuring him badly. Later, they also beat him up, following which he died.