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Youth’s Killing
Varun Gandhi’s Detention
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Old-age Pension Hike
EC wants videography, but at old rates
HJC to go high-tech to woo voters
Places earmarked to display hoardings
NCP to contest four seats
MDU exams rescheduled
High Court
New ATM Norms
Sarita Suicide Case
Fee Hike
Anil Khosla is Air Officer Commanding
Fake RC-making gang busted
Pvt bus operators call off strike
Bus service to ensure pedestrians’ safety
Liquor vendor shot dead
Three booked for dowry
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Youth’s Killing
Rohtak, April 1 A local Congress leader lifted the blockade following an assurance. The youth, who was shot dead allegedly last evening, has been identified as Jagbir Singh, who was killed by some assailants in the village located about 12 km from here at about 7.30. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants than fled away on a motorcycle. However, hundreds of residents, including women and children, came out on the highway and staged a blockade to pressurise the police administration to act swiftly to arrest the culprits. The protesters started dharna on the road and erected barricades leading to disruption of traffic on the NH-71 in this morning. While several of the vehicles had to be diverted on some local routes, hundreds of commuters got stranded in the jam that resulted due to blockade, said a police official. Demanding proper security arrangements in the village and immediate arrest of the accused, the residents announced to continue their protest till the police took any concrete action. While senior police and district officials tried to intervene on the matter and assured of a positive action, the protesters, it is reported, agreed at last to a request made by a local politician of the ruling party who assured that the accused would be arrested soon.
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Varun Gandhi’s Detention
Karnal, April 1 Yuva sena president Rajesh Arya alleged that Varun had been falsely booked under the NSA and that it was a well thought of plan to defame him and ruin his political career. The arrest of the terrorist, who was planning to kill Varun Gandhi was an indication that some people were not happy with his rise in politics and were trying to create problems for him, he added. Lashing out at Mayawati, Arya said it appeared that there was no rule of law in the state and utter chaos and anarchy was prevailing. Moreover, even in the past an attempt was made to create tension when Mayawati uttered strong words against a specific section of people at a public meeting in Haryana, hurting the religious sentiments of the people but she was not booked under the NSA. Expressing their solidarity with Varun, the sena activists vowed to continue their agitation till the NSA invoked against Varun was revoked. Varun Gandhi was arrested and later booked under the stringent NSA by the Uttar Pradesh government for "inciting violence" prior to his arrest on Saturday.
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Old-age Pension Hike
Chandigarh, April 1 The commission had yesterday told the government to pay pension at the old rates. The pension was revised during the last Budget session of the Assembly held in February and it was to be paid with effect from March 1. The actual disbursal would have been in April. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is believed to have directed Chief Secretary Dharam Vir to personally meet officials of the commission and convince them how the decision to revise the pension was not a violation of the model code of conduct. Sources say Dharam Vir will meet the commission officials tomorrow in Delhi. Though it is not yet known on what grounds the government would ask the commission to review its decision, it is believed that the Chief Secretary would inform the commission that the decision to revise the pension was duly approved by the Assembly much before the code came into effect. Therefore, it is unjustified and cruel to make the beneficiaries, most of whom are destitute and needy, wait for over two months to get the benefit of the revised pension. Meanwhile, national spokesman of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Sampat Singh has welcomed the decision of the commission saying that it had exposed the “crude attempt” of Hooda to hoodwink the state people. He said the commission had taken this decision, as there was no budgetary provision. If the government had been sincere in revising the pension, it should have made proper fiscal arrangements. Sampat Singh said the Hooda government had played with the sentiments of those sections of society that needed utmost care and sensitivity. State BJP media in charge said the commission had taken the right decision by stopping the ruling party from taking undue electoral advantage at the cost of the state exchequer. Satpal Kaushik of the Haryana Janhit Congress also alleged that the government was never sincere in revising the pension. It was only befooling the beneficiaries.
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EC wants videography, but at old rates
Gurgaon, April 1 They are supposed to follow the instructions of the Central Election Commission, simultaneously facing diverse challenges owing to diverse ground realities. For instance, as per the EC’s instructions, videography of many poll-related activities has to be carried out during the elections. However, the rates cited by the commission for the purpose (Rs 400 per day) are quite old and the electoral officials are finding it difficult to get videography done at these rates. Given the range and extent of the poll-related activities supposed to be videographed, the availability of the desired number of video cameras and professionals is also becoming a headache for the officials concerned. As per the EC’s directions, the poll process at the sensitive and hypersensitive booths, besides the filing of nominations by candidates and electoral canvassing by star campaigners have to be videographed. Besides, the entire videographed content has to be preserved in the form of CDs for future reference as and when required. Though the district electoral officials chose to remain tightlipped over the issue, but according to sources, they are in the process of getting the prevailing rates assessed and approved by the authorities concerned. Taking advantage of the situation, some “self-styled” leaders of videographers have started quoting exorbitant prices to make matter worse for the poll managers. This, coupled with the attempts to maintain monopolistic tendencies in the trade, is compounding the problem.
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HJC to go high-tech to woo voters
Chandigarh, April 1 The party will reach out to its voters this election season with the recorded message that will ring on all landlines and mobiles across the state, courtsey a New York-based company, which has been roped in for the same. Unveiling this and begining his media campaign at a press conference, here today, Bishnoi said the message would also make provision for a feedback from the voter. “The voter can voice his complaint on the completion of the recorded message. All these complaints will come to me in 48 hours and we will see how these can be addressed. This will help the party have a data bank of existing problems when we come to power,” he said. For publicity in the electronic media, the party has also prepared short clippings, which explore themes of water and power shortage, police brutality while a few others are in the pipeline. These end with Bishnoi urging people to vote for change. "We have tied up with regional and national channels to air these during primetime. The calls, made by a New York-based company, will go to landline and mobile phone subscribers all over the state. We will appeal to even the Chief Minister, MPs, MLAs and Opposition leaders to vote for us and even register their problems with us," Bishnoi explained. On his father, former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, contesting election, he said the decision of contesting and choice of seat had been left to the former. “He is the tallest leader in the state. The party will decide my candidature and my seat along with candidates for all the remaining seven seats. Also, we are in the process of finalising a rally for the Third Front in Hisar after April 11. We are hopeful that UP Chief Minister Mayawati will also address the rally,” Bishnoi added. The party has already announced candidates for three seats.
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Places earmarked to display hoardings
Kaithal, April 1 She also informed that the election will be held through the electronic voting machines and all those concerned with election duty were being imparted training about the use of these machines. Giving details about the functioning of EVMs Kumar said that each EVM could register 3,840 votes and in case any attempt was made to over power any polling booth and caste the votes forcibly, the voting machine could be switched off by the presiding officer and the votes caste forcibly would not be registered by
the EVM. |
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NCP to contest four seats
Karnal, April 1 The NCP has been pressing the Congress to have broad alliance among the UPA allies and leave seats for the NCP in other states also. |
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MDU exams rescheduled
Rohtak, April 1 |
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High Court
Chandigarh, April 1 Justice Ajay Tewari has also asked the commission to devise in house mechanism to prevent out of syllabus question papers. In the petitions, Gourav Jain and others had claimed 84 questions were set out of the prescribed syllabus. Some questions were palpably wrong as they had no correct answers, or had more than two correct answers. Justice Tewari ruled: “It is indeed regrettable that a premier constitutional authority like the public service commission would let such a carelessly drafted question paper be inflicted on the examinees for a premier service
of the state. “In the circumstances, the commission is directed to devise some in house mechanism to ensure that wherever a syllabus is prescribed, the questions should be prescribed strictly from within its four corners. It is also the duty of the commission to make certain that there are no questions which are either demonstrably wrong or tricky.” Justice Tewari also referred to four questions in particular and observed: “Counsel for the respondent-commission was not in a position to deny that these questions were palpably wrong, that is to say none of them could have a correct answer or that they were such for which there could be two or more equally correct answers”. Quoting the apex court and other judgements, Justice Tewari said: “Faced with the situation the question which arises is as to what is the relief which can be granted. No doubt these four questions could have impacted not only the petitioners or the selected candidates alone but others also. However, there have been various judgements wherein courts have restricted the relief only to such persons who have approached the court by a particular date.” |
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New ATM Norms
Hisar, April 1 HDFC Bank account holders, a large number of them having salary accounts with this bank, were unable to withdraw more than Rs 5,000 from the ATMs. Consequently, they were unable to pay their monthly bills today. Almost all customers have a daily ceiling of Rs 15,000. However, when they entered this amount for withdrawal, they were directed to reduce the amount. Thinking that the ATM might be short of cash, most customers withdrew Rs 5,000 and returned later to check if the machines had enough cash. However, the ATM displayed the message that the daily cash withdrawal limit had been reached. Harried customers rushed to ATMs of other banks, but there also they received the message that their bank had restricted the daily limit and no more cash could be withdrawn. When customers tried to contact the local branch manager, the telephones remained unanswered. Incidentally, under instructions of the Reserve Bank of India, customers could avail the benefit of withdrawing cash from the ATM of any bank free of cost from today. But some banks perhaps chose to play a practical prank on All Fools’ Day.
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Sarita Suicide Case
Ambala, April 1 The CBI had filed a chargesheet in this regard in the court of Special Magistrate Abdul Mazid on Tuesday. The CBI in its 55-page chargesheet has allegedly held responsible the then DSP of Rohtak Dheeraj Setia, inspector Pawan Kumar, head constable Ramphal, constable Balraj and Seelak Ram for suicide of Sarita. The CBI has attached a list of 85 witnesses, including the husband of the deceased and 89 documents in support of its allegations with the chargesheet. The CBI in the chargesheet had pointed out the police officials for exhibiting inaction in this matter. Sarita, a resident of Rohtak, had committed suicide in front of the police headquarters at Panchkula on June 9 last year when she did not get justice from the Rohtak police. She had alleged that two police officials of CIA staff, Rohtak, had raped her, when she had gone to meet her husband, who was kept in the CIA staff in a theft case. The CBI has already booked the two police officials Balraj and Seelak Ram on the charge of rape. A separate chargesheet has already been filed in this case in the CBI court and the proceeding is continuing in the court of special Judge AK Verma.
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Fee Hike
Gurgaon, April 1 The parents association has been protesting past few days against the fee hike in the name of implementation of sixth pay commission’s recommendations in private schools. Ikender, an employee in an MNC, whose two kids are studying at Rishi Public School, told The Tribune, “None of the parents want the fees to be increased. The sixth pay commission is implemented for government sectors and not private. If the fees has to be increase the government should also give us the arrears and if they can’t do the same, they have no right to put more burden on our back as they are already doing.” Even few of the parents are planning to take their kids out of the school due to increase in fees. Radha, a housewife whose two children are studying in the same school said, “We will be carrying out a march to get the public out of their homes as it is not just our fight but its everyone’s struggle.” She says that people actually don’t want to come out on the streets but they will try that they get the result after the protest. Nav Kaur, another parent said, “The school is increasing the fees but their standard of education is going down. One of my children was not doing well in school but when I kept him a tutor on principal’s recommendation he improved.”
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Anil Khosla is Air Officer Commanding
Ambala, April 1 An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Commodore Anil Khosla VM was commissioned in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 1979. He has flown over 4,000 hours on various types of fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. He is a qualified Fighter Strike Leader and a qualified as instructor with tenure as Directing Staff at Tactics and Combat Development Establishment and Flying Instructor School. He is also an alumnus of National Defence College, Army War College and Defence Services Staff College. In his 30 years of service career, the Air Commodore has held numerous important staff and field appointments. |
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Fake RC-making gang busted
Kaithal, April 1 During the preliminary interrogation, the arrested accused had confessed that their gang was involved in preparing fake RC’s of vehicles stolen from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Chandigarh . The accused were produced in the court of CJM Ajay Parasher here today who sent them on a 5-day police remand to procure the arrest of three remaining accused and for further interrogation. Giving details S.P.Sultan Singh said the CIA party led by Inspector Karta Ram on a tip off about the arrival of some criminals in an Alto car laid a naka at kaithal-Jind road drain and began checking of vehicles . The police party stopped an Alto car carrying three youths and during search found fake RC’s, some signed and unsigned registration forms with seals, stamp pads, other documents and implements used in breaking car locks. When inquired, the youths disclosed their identity as Suresh Kumar, resident of Kothkalan, Ashok Kumar of Maandikhurd in Alewa and Sanjay of sudkan Kalan. The police arrested the youth and booked them under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 472 and 120 -B of the IPC.
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Pvt bus operators call off strike
Kaithal, April 1 Dalbir Singh, president, Haryana Co-op Transport Society, said during this meeting all their major demands were conceded by the administration. They were assured that they would not face any victimisation at the hands of the RTA Secretary and Haryana Roadways officials. They would be permitted to operate buses from old-bus stand. A committee headed by SDM Hawa Singh was constituted to examine their other grievances . Following the amicable solution of their problems they called off the strike Dalbir Singh added. Yesterday the private bus operators stopped bus services on all routes following dispute over the challan of some private buses by the RTA Secretary. They had organised a huge procession and parked their buses on the road from new bus stand to camp office of the Deputy Commissioner . This strike had paralysed bus service on rural routes causing inconvenience to the passengers.
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Bus service to ensure pedestrians’ safety
Gurgaon, April 1 The two low-floor buses will continuously ply in a circular path from Udyog Vihar to IFFCO Chowk and each bus will be able to ferry 50-60 passengers at a time. The bus service is available for pedestrians from 6 am to 11 pm and will be free. Sachin Sharma, vice president-operations, DSC Ltd said, “The launch of the bus ferry service marks yet another initiative of the company for the safety of pedestrians crossing the expressway”.
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Liquor vendor shot dead
Jind, April 1 Virender, who had managed to get liquor vend allotted in his name, could not see the light of the first day of his contract period. As per reports, the victim had reached Manoharpur village around 12.10 am, where he had been allotted liquor vend for the financial period of 2009-2010. He asked the outgoing contractor to hand over vend to him as the former’s time period had been over by midnight. He was accompanied by some of his friends. But while the outgoing contractor denied it to do at that time he asked him to come next day after 7 am. This, however, erupted in a verbal dual and after some heated exchanges and a brawl, one of the persons from the side of the previous contractor pulled out a revolver and fired at Virender and his friends. Virender succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to PGIMS, Rohtak, around 1.10 am.
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Three booked for dowry
Rewari, April 1 A case under Sections 498-A, 406, 323, 506, 34 of the IPC has been registered against them on a directive of the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who has issued it on a petition earlier filed by Jyoti daughter of Durga Prasad, a resident of the Gol Chakra locality here. Jyoti, who got married to Rohtash on May 27, 2004, alleged that she was subjected to cruel treatment for dowry by her in-laws, following which she recently approached the CJM’s court for relief and justice. |
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Chandigarh, April 1
