Panchkula, January 14
Minister of State for Forests and Environment Kiran Choudhry at a meeting of officials said mining contractors were being favoured by circumventing guidelines issued by the apex court.

Choudhary, who was here to convene a meeting of the Forest and Environment Department, said the officials concerned were allocating contracts splitting the area of mining in more than one block to avoid seeking the permission of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

The minister said she was going to take up the matter at the highest level. A contractor seeking mining of more than five hectares requires permission of the Union Ministry to check effects of mining on the environment. To facilitate contractors, they were being allotted a little less than five hectares, she said.

Meanwhile, working of the Faridabad district forest officer, G Ramanna, also came under fire at the meeting. Choudhry said she along with commissioner of the department PK Gupta had noticed during their surprise visits that the illegal mining in the district was rampant and the district forest officer was unable to contain it.

Ramanna, however, tried to convince the minister saying he was not having proper infrastructure and sufficient staff to deal with the problem. It also came to fore during the meeting that the chief conservators, who are supposed to visit areas under them frequently, are stationed at the headquarters in Panchkula. The minister, directing the commissioner to draft a proposal to station them where their services could be more effective, ordered that every chief conservator required at least a 10-day visit to the districts under them.

The issue of influence of mining and forest mafia was also raised when the Bhiwani forest officer brought it to the notice of the minister that people involved in illegal activities got the news of their movement as soon as they left the office to raid them.

The minister, later, directed the department to carry out a satellite survey of forests in order to evaluate the success of the plantation done in the state. She said the land in the state be divided into three zones based on the agro climatic conditions to make required provisions as per the climatic conditions.

Panipat, January 14
In order to promote education amongst rural children below the age of 14, panchayats of various villages of the district yesterday pledged that they would ensure that all children of their respective villages attend schools.

While participating in the one-day seminar that has been organised as a part of the ongoing Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the representatives of the village panchayats stated that under the prevailing circumstances education for children had gained more importance. They said in order to encourage parents to send their wards to schools the panchayats had also announced to pay the tuition fee of all children.

The panchayat representatives stated that education was the only means through which child labour could be completely eradicated and that they would do everything in their capacities to achieve this goal.

The seminar was presided over by additional deputy commissioner Sanjeev Verma, who while speaking on the occasion, said education was a fundamental right of all and the Union government had started the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to guarantee education for all.

As per an official report there are around 4,300 children in the district who are below the age of 14, out of which a large number of children are deprived of primary education, he said.

Later, the representatives suggested certain measures that should be adopted by the policy makers for the complete success of SSA. They also appealed that the government should fill the staff vacancies in the rural schools and should also provide proper building for the village school. A number of voluntary organisations and educationists also participated in the seminar.

Sirsa, January 14
Irked over the alleged beating up of a Dalit woman at a local police station last night, members of the Balmiki community blocked traffic on the Ellenabad road for over four hours today.

The traffic police diverted the traffic via the Dabwali road. However, the blockade was lifted after higher officers shifted an assistant sub-inspector to the Police Lines.

Asha (40), a Dalit woman, and her husband Rajender were reportedly summoned by the police yesterday at a bus stand police post in the connection of theft at the residence of a local architect. The woman was a domestic help there.

Asha was today hospitalised in the local general hospital for injuries allegedly received during “torture” by the police.

“The woman was detained by the CIA staff against all norms and was allegedly tortured by the police. Members of the community reached the police station at 10.30 pm and secured her release from the police,” alleged Veer Shanti Swaroop, a former municipal councillor and senior Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader.

He alleged the police had taken Rs 7,000 lying at her residence to prove a case of theft against her. The police, however, maintained that the woman had already confessed to her crime last night and members of her community had taken her home on the assurance that they would produce her today.

“The woman, in connivance with her brother-in-law, had stolen Rs 50,000 and a gold ring on January 1 from the residence of a local architect. She committed the crime when he had gone to see a movie with his family. The woman and her husband were summoned on the first day of the theft itself and gave contradictory statements before the police. They were again summoned by the police yesterday and were detained by the CIA staff, where the woman immediately confessed to her crime,” maintained Ajay Sharma, SHO of the city police station.

He claimed she had not received injuries and members of her community had resorted to the road blockade only to save her from her criminal liability.

However, the authorities have shifted one of the three cops to the Police Lines against whom allegations of torture were levelled.

Narnaul, January 14
Seeking support for the NDA to root out the UPA government at the Centre, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain today said if voted to power, the alliance would “change the fate of farmers”.

He was addressing a public meeting before flagging off the “janakrosh yatra”, being taken out under the leadership of Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Singh Chautala, in Rai Malikpur village in Mahendragarh district.

Hussain appreciated the “sacrifice” made by the late Devi Lal, who played a significant role in making the late Vishwanath Pratap Singh the Prime Minister. He hoped Om Prakash Chautala would continue the practices started by Devi Lal in the welfare of farmers and poor sections of society.

Terming the Central government a failure on every front, he said terrorism “got support in the country during the UPA rule”. Debt-ridden farmers were committing suicide, he said, adding that during the NDA government, the country had registered tremendous progress in every field.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javedkar said the “janakrosh yatra” would lead to awakening among the people.

Lashing out at the state government, he said crime during the Congress rule in the state was on the rise. Referring to the 26/11 attacks, he said the Congress government remained a mute spectator during the attacks and Pakistan was not heeding the warnings of the country.

“UPA leaders are just making statements and no one dares to take action against Pakistan,” he said, adding that the country was surrounded by “dangers” and only the NDA “can bring out the nation from these”.

He promised the farmers adequate prices for their produce. The Congress government “befooled” farmers in the name of waiving off loans whereas only banks got direct benefit of it. He said the farmers would be given loans at 4 per cent interest and all rivers would be interconnected under a scheme.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that farmers were committing sucide due to the “wrong policies” of the UPA government and the dilly-dallying attitude of the central government had promoted terrorism and unemployment.

Ajay Singh Chautala, convener of the “janakrosh yatra”, sought public support for changing the present rule.

MP Trilochan Singh, former Governor Sultan Singh, INLD state president Ashok Arora, Sher Singh Badshami, BJP vice-president Kailash Sharma, Lok Sabha elections in charge Ram Bilas Sharma, Nripender Sigh and Rao Ajit Singh were among those who spoke on the occasion.

Sirsa, January 14
Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, has appointed a new professor and allowed the senior scale to six lecturers.

A meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the university was held today in the camp office of Vice-Chancellor KC Bhardwaj, who also presided over the meeting.

According to a spokesperson of the university, the EC offered the post of professor in the Department of Law to Brij Pal Singh, after Professor Harbansh, who had recently joined duty, resigned.

Brij Pal Singh had already been placed on the waiting list during the interviews held recently.

The university also allowed time scales to six lecturers.They are Rajesh Malik (Law), Nivedita (Education), Kiran Nehra and Joginder Singh (Biotechnology), Baljit Singh (Food Science) and Satyawan (Public Administration). Suresh Gahlawat of the Biotechnology Department has been appointed Dean, Students’ Welfare, by the university.

The university had recently appointed Ritu as Law Officer of the university, but she did not join duty within the stipulated period. The offer of appointment has now been made to Baljit Kumar, who had been placed on the waiting list during the interviews.

The EC also accorded sanction to certain decisions taken during the meeting of the Academic Council held yesterday. The EC also decided that the lawyers who contest university cases would be paid as per the norms of Kurukshetra University.

The university has also revised the pay scale of the deputy superintendents, who have now been placed in the scale of Rs 5500-9000 with a special pay of Rs 150.

Kaithal, January 14
Engineers of various Haryana government and semi-government departments here have expressed resentment over the pay scales given to them, following the 6th Pay Commission report.

To protest over the pay anomalies the engineers of the PWD (B&R), Irrigation, Public health, Panchayti Raj, Marketing board, HUDA and some other departments owing their allegiance to the Haryana Federation of Engineers at a meeting held at the local canal rest house here yesterday, decided to wear black badges till their grievances were redressed by the government. In a press release, Arvind Kaushik, district convener, said they had also decided not to draw their pay in the revised pay scale till the acceptance of their demands. The engineers also decided to submit their resignations in protest to the Haryana Federation of Engineers by January 17.

The engineers have criticised the government for doing injustice with them while fixing new pay scales. They alleged that the state government had not taken note of their positive role in the development of the state.

Hisar, January 14
BJP legislator from the Narnaund assembly constituency in this district Ram Kumar Gautam, who has been a bitter critic of the party’s poll tie-up with the INLD, may quit the party soon.

He gave these indications while addressing mediapersons here today. He said he had called a meeting of his supporters at Narnaund on January 17 to decide the future course of action.

He said the BJP-INLD poll alliance would never succeed as it had been forced upon party workers who continued to remain opposed to it. He said the party only stood to lose from this tie-up.

Gautam said he was considering several options, including reviving his erstwhile organisation, the Sarv Jan Kalyan Morcha.

He said he regretted not having quit the assembly immediately after the alliance was announced as it would have caused a byelection and both the BJP and the INLD would have seen for themselves how much the tie-up worked.

Gautam criticised Haryana BJP chief AP Manchanda, saying that he was a liability on the party.

Gautam had been removed as leader of the BJP legislature party after he criticised the tie-up and wrote several letters to LK Advani demanding that he scrap 
the alliance.

The BJP had recently indicated that disciplinary action against Gautam was in the offing.

Rewari, January 14
Supporters of Raghu Yadav, a former legislator and president of the Sarva Jati Janata Panchayat, a political outfit of the Ahirwal region, participated in a mahapanchayat held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti here today.

The supporters belonged to Rewari, Mahendragarh, Ateli, Narnaul, Nangal Chaudhary, Pataudi, Gurgaon and other parts of the region.

In his address, Raghu Yadav announced that he would contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency.

Highlighting certain issues “agitating the minds” of the people of the Ahirwal region, Raghu Yadav demanded that the foundation stone for the proposed central university, an announcement regarding which was made by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at a rally in Mahendragarh recently, should be laid.

Regarding the much-hyped equitable distribution of available canal water, he wanted the Chief Minister to publicly announce that the Rs 380 crore Hansi-Butana Link Canal was primarily meant for “quenching the thirst of the parched fields of the Ahirwal region”.

He also demanded commencement of postgraduate classes in all important subjects at the newly built complex of Postgraduate Regional Centre of the MDU in Merpur village, near here, 25 per cent reservation for students of the region in admissions to the Sainik School here, conversion of the Masani Barrarge into an artificial lake-cum-tourist spot and completion of the Rewari-Delhi highway.

Sirsa, January 14
The Indian National Lok Dal today demanded a substantial decrease in the prices of petrol and diesel, and said small relief in the prices would not do at this stage.

Reacting to news reports that the government was planning to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 per litre and Rs 3 per litre, respectively, Sampat Singh, secretary-general and spokesperson for the INLD, said today that the government must cut the petrol and diesel prices to the same extent as it had been doing in the case of aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

Sampat Singh alleged that the government started decreasing the prices of the ATF in mid-September and since then it had been reviewing the prices of the crude oil in the international market on a fortnightly basis and passing on the corresponding benefits to the ATF users.

“Since September last, the government has decreased the prices of the ATF eight times from Rs 71 per litre to Rs 30 per litre, while in case of petrol and diesel it has been adopting dilly-dallying tactics,” he alleged.

He said the prices of crude oil had come down from $147 per barrel in July 2008 to $37.78 today, but the government had till date provided little benefit to the consumers.

Sampat Singh welcomed the move of decontrolling the fuel pricing by the oil companies, but said the government must first bring the prices in consonance with the current prices of the crude oil.

Jind, January 14
A man allegedly opened fire on the widow of his brother and her expectant daughter, killing the niece on the spot and injuring her mother seriously at Sahanpur village in the district, the police said today.

According to Safidon DSP Shobha Chand, the accused, 55-year-old Palu had taken his brother Dalel’s widow Anita as his second wife about 15 years ago and used to stay with her and her two daughters, of whom 22-year-old Kamlesh was married and had come to stay with her mother as she was in the family way.

Palu’s first wife Kamlesh and her two children, a boy and a girl, used to stay in a separate house in the same village. His son had yesterday come to Anita’s house but she sent him away. When Palu came home late last night, he enquired about his son.

The matter led to a quarrel following which Palu took out his gun and allegedly opened fire on Anita. However, Kamlesh rushed to cover her mother and took the bullet. Palu again allegedly fired at Anita, injuring her seriously before fleeing.

The neighbours, hearing the gunshots, reached the house and rushed the victims to a nearby private hospital.

While Kamlesh was declared brought dead, Anita was hospitalised in a critical condition. The police has registered a case against Palu. — UNI