Karnal, May 18
In a queer move that can spell doom for students, the Haryana School Board, Bhiwani, has decided not to count the marks of optional subjects in class VIII examinations conducted by the board.

The board has specified high-scoring subjects like Sanskrit, Punjabi, agriculture, drawing, Urdu, home science and physical education as optional subjects and made it clear that the students may or may not opt for these subjects and the marks of additional optional subject will not be counted.

Compulsory subjects included English, Hindi, mathematics, social sciences and science whereas general knowledge will be counted only for grading, which will not materially affect the total marks obtained.

The board has also directed the educational institutions to fill the new admission forms carefully and clearly mention the compulsory subjects and optional subjects in capital letters. The institution concerned will be responsible for any lapse in filling the form and liable for consequences.

The decision of the board will dissuade students from studying additional subjects and as a result teaching of these subjects in middle schools will be completely stopped over a period of time, rendering teachers “workless”. The job opportunities for teachers of optional subjects will squeeze and the students will be deprived of facility to learn these subjects.

Notwithstanding the fact that the marks of optional subjects helped the students to improve their percentage, discouraging the students to study subjects like Punjabi, Sanskrit and Urdu would have political fallout, said KK Nirman, state secretary, Haryana Rajkiya Adhiyapak Sangh.

Irked over the decision, Punjabi teachers alleged that on one hand the government had been promising to consider the demand for giving second language status to Punjabi in Haryana and on the other, the school board was creating conditions to wean away Punjabi-speaking students from learning their mother tongue.

Haryana was a part of Punjab till November 1966 and has a large population of Punjabi-speaking people, especially in Yamunanagar, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Sirsa and treating Punjabi as “appendix” of curriculum would amount to betrayal of these students, said a local Sikh leader. Further, even the CBSE counts the marks of optional subjects like physical education and other optional subjects and the move of the Haryana School Board would only ensure that these subjects vanished from the curriculum at secondary level.

Chandigarh, May 18
The Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Haryana, has invited applications from outstanding sportspersons of the state for Bhim Award, 2009-10. A letter to this effect was issued by the department to the Proctor, Sports Hostel, Gurgaon, and all district sports and youth affairs officers, which states that applications on prescribed proforma should reach the headquarters of the department by July 31, 2009.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a replica of Bhim, a scroll, a blazer, a tie and a scarf.

The sports policy of the state provides to give the award to six outstanding sports persons, including one physically handicapped sportsperson, of the state.

For the Bhim Award, 2009-10, the names of such outstanding sportspersons as have secured first, second and third positions in the recognised international sports competitions and senior national sports competitions during the past three years and they should have represented the state at least once in the national sports meets during this period, should be forwarded.

Chandigarh, May 18
Opposition parties are in an introspective mood with the Congress virtually sweeping Haryana. However, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), despite failing to make a mark in this Lok Sabha election, is celebrating its small victory over veteran parties, which have been outdone by the former in the race of vote percentages.

With nearly 16 per cent vote share, the party is happy being second to the Congress which “earned” 41 per cent vote share. The BSP, claiming to be number one in the eight assembly constituencies and number two in 14 seats, is pleased with its achievement.

BSP’s state unit president Mann Singh Manhera, who is in Lucknow to brief Mayawati about their success story in Haryana, says that being placed at second position in two Lok Sabha constituencies is an achievement in itself. “We are flattered by the result,” he states. During this visit, the state unit will also chalk out its strategy for the Vidhan Sabha elections in the state.

However, though the BSP is on a high in Haryana, in Uttar Pradesh, the party is still recovering from the “trespass” by the Congress in its citadel. With the Congress shaking the very foundation of the party in UP by winning an unexpected 21 seats, the BSP which won 20 seats will first have to begin reconsolidating its position in its home state from where it was drawing all its strength.

In the given scenario, it remains to be seen if the party and its supremo can afford to devote time to the affairs of Haryana. The other opposition parties in Haryana, however, are not making much of the BSP’s claim to fame.

Sources in other opposition parties maintain that the BSP’s performance could well be a one election wonder before the party’s vote share begins to slip again. “If the BSP is as strong as it claims and believes to be, then how come the Congress managed to make inroads in the state and come out right on top should be enough reason for worry. Besides, if the party loses its base in UP, the party is bound to fail elsewhere also,” opposition leaders maintained. For now, however, the BSP’s state unit is upbeat and looking to improve its performance.

Karnal, May 18
Karnal MP Arvind Sharma, who retained his seat and made it to the Lok Sabha for the third time today expressed his gratitude to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi for expressing faith in him and ensuring his victory.

“I am equally grateful to the people of Karnal and Panipat who have reposed their faith in me but it was possible only because of the trust posed in me by Sonia, PM, Rahul and CM” , he told The Tribune.

When asked about his plans for development of the area, he said he would make earnest efforts to complete the works already initiated by him, fulfil the promises made to the people and take up the problems, demands and grievance of people with the Centre and state leaders for redressal.

It would be easier to get the issues resolved as the UPA had won the majority on its own and a stable government under Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh would certainly deliver goods.

He said that the Lok Sabha election was a precursor for the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state and the Congress would perform even better. He also thanked the party workers for their tireless efforts in ensuring his victory.

Panipat, May 18
Buoyant by the party’s success in the Lok Sabha elections, working president of the HPCC Kuldeep Sharma today said by voting for the party candidates in nine out of 10 seats, the state electorate had endorsed the policies adopted by the Congress both at the Center and at state levels.

Crediting the success in the polls to development works carried out by the state government, he said instead of following politics of vendetta Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had worked for the people of the state and it really paid off for the party in the elections.

He said other political parties in the state had been reduced to the point of no existence by the voters, who had reposed faith in the Congress leadership.

He said that Hooda’s development plans that attracted major investments to the state along with huge amount of money being spent on roads, townships, industrial areas and setting up power plants along with other infrastructure projects had a convincing affect on the voters, who discarded the others and gave the mandate in favour of the Congress.

Predicting a thumping win for the Congress in the next assembly elections that are just 10-months away, Sharma said with a majority of assembly constituency supporting the Congress in these elections, it was easy for anyone to judge what the outcome of the assembly polls would be.

Hailing Rahul Gandhi for scripting a huge success for the party in Uttar Pradesh, Sharma said he was the future Prime Minister of the country who could lead the Congress into the next era of politics.

He said the visionary approach of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the clean image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had put the Congress way ahead of others even before the country went to the polls.

He also took the opportunity to express gratitude for the party workers and supporters, who had worked hard to ensure victory of the Congress candidates across all parliamentary constituencies in the state.

Chandigarh, May 18
In a major relief to HUDA chief administrator-cum-senior IAS officer TC Gupta, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the operation of the May 2008 sentence order passed by the district consumer disputes redressal forum.

Similar orders have been passed in case of two other officers. They were, vide the judgment, sentenced to two years imprisonment for alleged non-compliance of the state consumer dispute redressal forum’s orders dated February 3, 2006.

As the matter came up, Justice Surya Kant took on the record the state counsel’s contention that the petitioner had already filed an appeal before the state consumer disputes redressal commission against the alleged non-complied order of February 2006.

Justice Kant asserted the writ petition was being disposed of with liberty to the petitioner to file separate appeal against the impugned order of sentence pronounced in May 2008, if so required and advised, within two months of receiving a certified copy of the order.

Justice Kant directed till the application filed against the impugned order, or the one filed against the original order, was decided on merits, the operation of the sentence order dated May 2008 would remain stayed.

Providing further safeguards, Justice Kant said in case the state commission dismissed Gupta’s appeal against the original order of February 2006, the operation of the May 2008 order should remain stayed for another two months. This was directed to enable the petitioner to seek further redressal before appropriate forum.

The forum had awarded the sentence to the officers for their alleged failure to allot a residential plot to NRI KC Bhatia.

In his complaint, Bhatia had asserted he was not allotted a residential plot, even though he was entitled to it along with an industrial plot allotted to him.

Bhatia moved the consumer court, which directed HUDA to allot him the plot within a month in 2006. But, the respondents allegedly did not comply with the order, forcing Bhatia to file an execution application, and were sentenced to two-year imprisonment. A fine of 10,000 was also imposed.

Sirsa, May 18
Students of the Government Polytechnic here went on strike today against the decision of the Haryana State Board of Technical Education to conduct examinations of the 2nd semester students starting on June 5 on the subjective type pattern instead of the usual objective type.

However, the board withdrew its decision by the evening as reports of protests had been received from various institutions of the state.

The students raised slogans and held demonstration against the board.

“The board had taken despotic orders just a fortnight before the examination leaving with students no scope of preparations as per the new pattern,” said Roshan Lal Suchan, state convener of the All-India Students Federation.

Principal Sudhir Gilhotra said the board authorities had reviewed its decision after resentment among the students.He said reports of resentment from other polytechnics of the state had also reached the board authorities.

“We have just received an e-mail communication from the board in this regard and are going to notify it for the students,” he said.

Gurgaon, May 18
Heads of the DLF Qutab Plaza Condominium Association and the DLF Qutab Enclave Residents Welfare Association along with a group of residents of D, G and H blocks held a peaceful congregation outside an illegal liquor vendor at Kachra Chowk here today.

The residents were forced to protest against the opening of the liquor vend near the society after the administration reportedly took no action despite three letters of plea.

A resident from the D block urged the liquor vendor to remove his shop as its backside faced her house. She said the vendor had been planning to extend its services by turning it into a state-of-the-art drinking place with individual drinking dens.

President of DLF Qutub Enclave RWA RS Rathee said he would meet RP Balwan, chief forest conservator of Gurgaon, to bring to his notice the encroachment on forestland.

Rathee said many liquor vends had been opened all over the city and unfortunately the administration did not take any action till the local populace objected to it.

“We had sent the first letter regarding the opening of the vend to the DC on April 13. We will take aggressive action if the vend does not close down in the next one week,” he added.

The liquor vend has been set up on the forestland next to the traffic light on the main entrance to the city and in front of a residential colony.

The liquor shop has not only created traffic and social problems, but it has also led to many associated encroachments. A junk dealer near the vend thrives on cardboard boxes, beer and whisky bottles.

Lt Col Dalel S Ahlawat (retd), president of the Qutub Plaza Condominium Association, said the liquor shops should come up according to the guidelines keeping in mind the welfare of local residents and traffic.