Karnal, March 14
Optimal use of water through efficient rainwater management is a must for increasing foodgrain production and ensuring sustainable growth of farm sector, Dr J S Samra, Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), said today.

The next green revolution would emerge from improvement in rain-fed agriculture technology aimed at developing systems with low water requiring crops and breaking the crop-yield barriers, he told The Tribune here.

Emphasising the need for conservation of natural resources to meet the challenge of climate change, Dr Samra said rain-fed farming and efficient water management with crop intensification could help achieve increased crop productivity and food security.

Expressing concern that only 29 per cent rainwater was being put to productive use, he called for massive efforts for rainwater harvesting and reorientation of policies and priorities for sustainable growth.

He disclosed that out of the 85 million hectare area under cultivation, 60 per cent was rain-fed and accounted for 40 per cent of total food production and in spite of best efforts, the target of 4 per cent agriculture growth during 10th Plan had not be achieved. A record foodgrain production of 230.67 million tonnes was achieved in 2007-08, but the growth rate was stuck at 2.8 per cent.

Referring to global warming, Dr Sarna said the phenomenon of rising temperature by two or three degrees over a period of 100 years could not be changed but the intensity of frequency of extreme conditions leading to floods, cyclones and droughts could be handled by expanding the command area.

Chandigarh, March 14
The Election Commission has prohibited wall writing, pasting of posters, or defacement in any other form (display of cutouts, hoardings, banners and flags) at any government office and public place.

A spokesperson for the State Election Department of Haryana said the ban had also been imposed on the pasting of posters on the private buildings without prior permission of the owner. He made it clear that the slogans and posters could be displayed only on the private buildings after the consent of the owner and approval of the District Election Officer.

The spokesperson said the places where the local law permits wall writings, pasting of posters, putting up hoardings and banners on the private premises with the owner’s permission, the contesting candidates or the political parties concerned would have to obtain prior written permission from the owner of the property and submit photocopies of the same within three days to the Returning Officer.

He said nothing inflammatory would be permissible in such writings or display. The expenditure incurred in this mode on specific campaign of candidate would be added to the election expenditure made by the candidate.

Expenditure incurred on exclusive campaign for a party without indicating any candidate would not be added to candidate’s expenditure. The contesting candidate would have to furnish such information to the Returning Officer or the authorised officer within three days of obtaining the requisite permission.

Further, the political parties would not be allowed to use government buildings, halls, auditorium in any district. He made it clear that no discrimination would be made with any candidate in pasting of posters or writing of slogans. He said stern action
would be taken against those political parties and candidates who would not follow the guidelines issued by the Election Commission. The amount would be recovered from the concerned political parties and candidates for removing the publicity material.

On commercial vehicles, display of any flag and sticker would not be permitted, unless such vehicle is validly used for election campaign after obtaining the requisite permit from the District Election Officer and Returning Officer and the display thereof in original on the windscreen.

He said the requisite permission would be required for fitting of loudspeakers on the publicity vehicle from the competent authority under the Motor Vehicle Act. 

Jhajjar, March 14
Poll bugle for the Rohtak parliamentary seat was sounded today by Congress sitting MP Deepender Hooda during two campaign rallies held at Bazitpur and Gochhi villages in this district.

Former opposition MLA from Beri Constituency, Dr Virender Pal, joined the Congress along with his supporters at the function organised at his native village Gochhi.

Addressing the gathering, Deepender highlighted several measures taken by the present government for the welfare of masses, including National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Indira Gandhi Drinking Water Scheme, plots for the poor, CM Scholarship Schemes etc. He said the central and state governments took special care of the farmers with enhanced MSPs for various crops and other schemes for the welfare of the peasants and labourers.

“For the last three-and-a-half years, I have been working day and night for the development needs of Rohtak constituency. I was aware of the responsibility thrust upon my young shoulders when I was elected MP. As such, it has been my mission to work steadfastly for the rapid development of the constituency,” said Deepender, adding that his work would do the speaking for him.

Castigating the opposition, he said the major difference between them and the Congress was that of ‘intention and honesty’. Haryana CM Bhupender Hooda’s programme and policies were based upon honest intention to serve the masses; he added, and welcomed the new entrant, Dr Virender Pal, into the Congress.

Dr Virender Pal said he had joined the Congress after listening to the voice of his conscience. Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Dr Raghuvir Singh Kadian, MLA Hari Ram Balmiki, Congress leader Chhatar Singh, Raj Singh Jakhar, Mahender Gulia, Kuldeep Nambardar, Balwant Beri, Chiranji Lal Sharma, Shriom Ahalawat, former MLA Dariyao Singh Rajora were among those present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, March 14
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) today accused the Congress government of “criminal delay” in the implementation and completion of infrastructure development projects, which constitute the backbone of the state.

Prof Sampat Singh, national spokesman of the INLD, said the progress of the 135.65 km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway was extremely slow and this was despite monitoring of the project by the Supreme Court.

Stating that only 14.47 per cent of the work had been completed by February, the project would overshoot the target date of completion on July 31, 2009. He stated that the INLD government had initiated the process of identifying the construction companies, floating of tender and acquisition of land, had conceived this project of national importance. Even after enforcement of code in December 2004, the INLD government had obtained permission to initiate the process.

The INLD national spokesman recalled that some big realtors like Reliance, DLF and Unitech had evinced interest in this project for purposes of setting up big and ambitious SEZs. It is pertinent to point out that these points were to be the instrument of transformation with townships coming up at Badli, Kharkhoda and Manesar extension.

Panipat, March 14
The war against insanitation is being fought by women in Haryana by placing a simple condition before their daughters get married - her new household should have a toilet.

Suresh Devi (52), a resident of Shahar Malpur village near Panipat, had been forced to defecate in the open till not so long ago, as there was no toilet in her home. But when her daughter got married, she made sure the bride had a toilet in her new home.

“My in-laws did not have a toilet at home and nor did my parents. Everybody at home used to go to the fields for defecation. We never had a toilet at home until the village panchayat (council) got one made last year.”

“When I got my youngest daughter married off I made sure that there was a toilet in the household. After all one has to look after hygiene,” Suresh, a member of a below poverty line family, said.

In a country where 665 million people still defecate in the open and where killer diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice and malaria are all caused by lack of hygiene, the state government’s sanitation campaign has come as a major change.

“Our daughter will be married only to a family that has a toilet at home. This slogan dramatically decreased the percentage of people holding out against the construction of new toilets,” chuckled 70-year-old Satwant Kaur of Khanpur Koliyan village in the neighbouring Kurukshetra district.

It has been nearly four years since the Haryana government embarked on a campaign to create awareness about sanitation among the masses through radio jingles, television advertisements, posters and banners.

Since 2005, 1.41 million toilets have been built across the agriculture-dependent state that surrounds the national capital on three sides. Out of the 1,417,960 toilets constructed from 2005 to Jan 31 this year under the total sanitation campaign, 947,828 units were built by families above the poverty line and 470,132 by those below the poverty line.

Under a scheme, 798 village panchayats have already received nearly Rs.11.29 crore as reward from the state government for having a toilet in each household of the village.

Back in Shahar Malpur village, the movement has caught on with several families undertaking the construction of the toilets in their homes on their own, like in the case of 75-year-old Bhaiya Ram Sharma, who believes one has to change according to the demands of time.

“Our belief is that the toilets should not be in the home as the food is also cooked within the premises. Moreover, one also gets fresh air during the walk to the fields. But one has to change with the times,” Sharma said.

This was the belief that has been the reason behind people of the state using open fields for defecation. While men and children can go any time, the women have to do so under cover of darkness.

“Since my marriage and before that in my parents’ home we have always been going out. But with age and all the children getting married it becomes difficult to go out for defecation if there is an emergency and it is also quite unsafe for the women to go out at odd hours,” said Sharma's wife Jeevani. — IANS

Rewari, March 14
Four armed miscreants today made a dare devil bid to extricate four undertrials from the custody of an eight-member contingent of the Rajasthan police in the Rewari-Fazilka passenger train near Kosli.

The miscreants threw chilly powder into the eyes of the police personnel. But when their attack failed, one of them fired a shot at Havildar Arjun Singh, head of the police party. The bullet hit him in arm-pit.

When the police retaliated, three of the miscreants managed to escape while the fourth one was overpowered. The three miscreants fled in a vehicle that they subsequently abandoned in the forest area of Murlipur village, near Kosli. It was later seized by the police.

The miscreants had also looted a magazine from the police personnel rendering them powerless to use their carbines against them.

After getting the information of the attack, a contingent of the Kosli police headed by SHO Gopi Chand reached the railway station from where the police personnel, undertrials and the apprehended miscreant were brought to the Kosli police station.

Injured Havildar Arjun Singh was rushed to local civil hospital from where he was referred to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi.

SHO Gopi Chand said the apprehended miscreant was Vinod Kumar of Bhiwani district and his three accomplices were Amarjit and Surrender of Bhiwani and Sonu of Rohtak district.

The SHO also informed that the police party was taking four undertrials - Naushad and Nadeem of Uttar Pradesh and Ravi and Sunil of Bhiwani district - from Central Jail, Jaipur to Bhiwani. They were to be produced before a court in a case of dacoity.

Sirsa, March 14
The police today constituted five special teams for solving the mystery of double murder at Rori village in the district. A cash prize of Rs 50,000 for providing any clue to the gruesome incident has also announced. A young woman and her mother-in-law were murdered and their cash and jewelry looted.

SP Subhash Yadav informed that Devinder Nain, the-then SHO of Rori police station, has already been placed under suspension.

Mamta (24) and her mother-in law-Krishna (55) were found murdered on March 1 at their residence.

The assailants had killed the two women with a sharp-edged weapon and took away about 70 tolas of gold.

Residents of the area had staged a dharna outside the police station alleging laxity on the part of the police. They had also demanded action again Nain for his alleged insensitive behaviour.

The police is yet to make any headway in the case.

The residents had also recently met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

A police spokesman informed that five teams under inspector Shish Ram, sub-inspector Ram Mehar, assistant sub-inspector Dharamvir Singh, ASI Balwan Singh and ASI Surjeet Singh has been constituted to solve the double murder. DSP Ellenabad Balbir Singh has been made in charge.

The police has also set up barriers on the outskirts of the village and deputed motorcycle riders to help the investigating team.

Sirsa, March 14
The Drug Control Department has cancelled licenses of three local chemists for obstructing inspection of their shops during raid on October 6, 2008.

GL Singhal, assistant state drugs controller, Haryana, who led the team, said licenses of M/s GP Super Medical Stores, M/s Raju Medicos and M/s Rajdhani Medicos have been cancelled for various contraventions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, including failure to maintain proper sales and purchase records and selling narcotic drugs. The licenses have been cancelled after serving notices and providing the chemists an opportunity to file replies.

A huge cache of narcotic and habit-forming drugs were seized from some of the chemists of the town.