Chandigarh, July 3
Haryana has become the first state in the country to have eco-sensitive zones around its national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. This became possible after the Union Government notified a draft notification a few days ago.

Haryana’s Forest Minister Kiran Choudhry, who worked hard for the notification, today described the Union Government’s decision as “a high point in my career as Forest Minister”. She said in the absence of the notification, “destruction in the garb of development” was taking place on a big scale around the national parks and sanctuaries.

Choudhry had not only written several letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in this regard but also met them a number of times so that the notification could be expedited.

The Union Government has notified eco-sensitive zones around two national parks and eight wildlife sanctuaries in Haryana. The national parks covered by the notification are the Kalesar national park and the Sultanpur national park. The sanctuaries covered by it are the Kalesar sanctuary, Khol Hai Raitan, Bir Shikargah, Nahar, Chhilchhila, Abushehar, Bhindawas and Khaparwas.

Now, no “highly polluting” industry can be set up within 5 km of the boundaries of these protected areas. The other restrictions in the eco-sensitive zones include no “polluting” industry within 3 km, no crushing activity or wood-based industry within 2 km, no mining activity within 500 metres, no construction of more than two-storeyed (25 ft) building within 300 metres and no other activity except cultivation and the sinking of tubewells within 100 metres of the protected areas.

The draft notification, to which anyone can object within 60 days, is likely to affect two special economic zones being developed by Reliance in Gurgaon and Jhajjar districts. It will also go a long way in checking illegal mining in the Shivalik and Aravali areas.

The National Board for Wildlife had decided in 2005 that the areas around the national parks and sanctuaries should be declared as eco-sensitive zones. Thereafter, the Supreme Court also issued similar directions in 2006.

The Haryana Forest Department submitted a proposal to the Union Government in March 2007 for the declaration of eco-sensitive zones around the protected areas in the state. Since then Choudhry had been pursuing the issue with the Union Government.

Choudhry also announced details of 18th Mango Mela to be organised jointly by the Tourism and Horticulture Departments at Pinjore from tomorrow. 

Sirsa, July 3
Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Singh Chautala led workers of the Indian National Lok Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the NDA’s protest against alleged power and water scarcity and the hike in the prices of diesel and petrol here today.

Addressing workers of the two parties in the local grain market, Chautala alleged that the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government had failed to provide power and water to the people. Terming the power crisis as unprecedented, Chautala said the previous INLD government had provided uninterrupted power supply to people, while the Hooda government had failed miserably on this front.

He alleged that the UPA government at the Centre had stabbed common people in their back by hiking the prices of petrol and diesel soon after coming to power.

Dr Sita Ram, MLA from Dabwali, Padam Jain, district president of the INLD, Krishna Fogat, district president of the women’s wing of the party, Renu Sharma, district president of the BJP, and several other leaders were present.

The NDA workers went in procession through the Janata Bhawan Road, Rori Gate, Bhagat Singh Chowk, Hisaria Bazar, Parsuram Chowk, the Hisar road and Ambedkar Chowk and then to the Surkhab Tourist Complex, where Additional Deputy Commissioner J Ganeshan accepted a memorandum addressed to the Governor.

The INLD in the memorandum sought the Governor’s intervention in asking the state government to provide power and water to people.

Jhajjar: Activists of the INLD staged a demonstration in protest against erratic power supply and shortage of water here on Friday.

They also submitted a memorandum, which was addressed to the Haryana Governor, to the Deputy Commissioner. The demonstration was led by Gopi Chand Gehlot, former vice-president of the state Assembly.

Earlier, the protesters assembled at the party office and marched towards the local mini-secretariat in the form of procession. They also shouted slogans against the state government. Addressing the party workers, former state Health Minister Muni Lal Ranga criticised the anti-people policies of the state government.

Karnal, July 3
The state’s only Nari Niketan, housing 35 girls at present, is on the boil, courtesy a 50-year-old woman attendant. Inmates allege that they are stripped and frisked on their return from court appearances and frequently beaten up by this attendant.

What’s more, contrary to instructions, she locks up the girls in their two rooms at night. Instead of sleeping among them, she sleeps in a separate room with one of the speech impaired inmates of the home every night.

Speaking to The Tribune, the girls said they were fed up with the “exploitation” by the attendant and had even complained in writing to the authorities concerned.

“Whenever we go out on a court appearance or to a hospital, she forces us to strip and she physically checks us. It is humiliating and scary. We don’t think she has any business to violate our privacy. She justifies the act by saying that it is to check smuggling of drugs,” an inmate said.

The girls alleged that the attendant gave a stepmotherly treatment to all inmates except a speech impaired girl who was housed at the home during her school vacation.

“There are two speech impaired girls at the home. However, the attendant takes only one of them to her room at a distance in the same complex every night while we are locked up inside without any help and water. There is nobody for us in case we need anything at night,” another inmate adds.

Through violent gestures, the speech impaired girl, left with the rest, expresses anger while one inmate interprets. “The other girl remains aloof and sticks only to that woman. All through the day, she interacts with nobody, not even me,” the inmate says.

Though the attendant has been repeatedly warned against taking the girl out to her own room and asked to sleep in the room where all girls stay, it has failed to have any impact.

“We usually complain in groups whenever the authorities come visiting. If she gets to know that any of the inmates has complained about her behaviour, she gets violent and beats us up. Sometimes she even takes away our money,” the inmates complained.

When the attendant came face-to-face with the girls, she said she had been reinstated only a month ago after a 10-month suspension. “Some vested interests levelled false allegations against me. I take the speech impaired girl to sleep in my room because she is very sensitive and can’t stay without me.

In case of any need, the girls can call out to me. As far as checking the girls is concerned, I only frisk them for drugs they may carry into the house. They are acting at the behest of certain persons associated with the home. I have done nothing wrong,” she claims.

For now, controversy and conflict are the order of the day at the Nari Niketan. It remains to be seen when the authorities will act and redress the grievances of the girls.

Yamunanagar, July 3
A Maoists’ organisation, larger than Haryana, has been silently working in Punjab too. The president of the Maoists’ organisation in Punjab too participated in the second secret All-India Conference of Maoists’ Organisation of different states held in Patna.

Ganpati, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, was then the president of CPI (Maoists). This was revealed by the arrested suspected Maoists’ leaders during their interrogation by the officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and a senior official from Punjab recently.

Dr Pardeep Kumar, president of the suspected Maoists’ organisation of Haryana, had participated in the All-India Conference of Maoists’ Organisation held in Patna in 2007. Dr Pardeep had told the officials of the IB and SSP (CID), Punjab, Pawan Rai that Karamjit Singh was the leader of the Maoists’ organisation in Punjab.

Karamjit had also presented facts to the central committee members about the party activities in Punjab in the conference. The Maoists’ body in Punjab was active in the district where Dalits had been fighting against various problems and their deteriorating conditions, SP Vikas Arora told The Tribune.

Leader of the CPI (Maoists) NP Reddy was in touch with Dr Pardeep till 2005. However, Reddy had surrendered before the Andhra Pradesh DGP in 2005. Thereafter, Dr Pardeep came in touch with the central committee member of CPI (Maoists), Pramod Mishra.

Dr Pardeep was called to attend the national conference of the Maoists’ organisation to represent Haryana through Mishra.

Mishra, who belongs to Jharkhand, regularly got inputs of the state body from Dr Pardeep and informed him about the party activities and polices at the national level. He also provided him the party literature.

“After reaching Patna, Dr Pardeep was received by the members of the CPI (Maoists) and was blindfolded till he reached the conference venue in the forest area. Leaders of different states had been camping in tents and each leader gave presentation of their activities, social-economic conditions of his state and the scope of their party growth in the state to the members of the central committee,” the SP further added.

Sonepat, July 3
Activists of the district unit of the SUCI led by district secretary Hari Prakash burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh near the railway station here today.

They were protesting against the recent hike in the prices of petrol and diesel by the central government.

Addressing the activists, Prakash said instead of controlling the increase in the prices of essential commodities, the government had increased the prices of petrol and diesel and this hike would further increase the prices of daily-use food items.

Meanwhile, state spokesman of the BJP Rajiv Jain in a press statement decried the hike saying that the farming community was already under pressure due to delay in monsoons, inadequate power supply and insufficient canal water supplies. 

“This hike will further harm the interests of the farmers, who depend on diesel consumption to irrigate their fields with diesel-run pumping sets,” he said and added that if the hike was not withdrawn, the BJP would not hesitate to launch an agitation.

Criticising the hike, state vice-president of the All-India Kisan Sabha Shradha Nand Solanki said the farmers and the common man were at the receiving end because of the higher prices of foodgrains, vegetables and other eatables. The recent hike in the fuel prices would further increase the prices of these essential commodities, he remarked.

Chandigarh, July 3
There was a mixed response to the Railway Budget in Haryana. While Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda described the budget as “pro-poor”, president of the Haryana BJP Atam Prakash Manchanda said it was disappointing for the state.

Hooda appreciated that the state would be covered under the Western Corridor project aimed at setting up mega logistics hubs, thus giving a boost to the economy of the state.

The proposal to set up cold storage cargoes would immensely benefit the farming community.

He said that several innovative schemes had been proposed in the budget to facilitate the passengers.

Manchanda said the Railway Minister had ignored long-pending demands of Haryanavis like the introduction of local trains in the afternoon on the Rohtak-Delhi and Panipat-Delhi sections and four-laning of the rail track between Ambala and Delhi.

He said barring the sanctioning of the Yamunanagar-Naraingarh-Chandigarh track, the budget had not given anything to Haryana.

Hisar, July 3
Haryana Agricultural University scientists have expressed the possibility of insect and pest attacks on cotton crop in the prevailing weather conditions.

Dr Hari Ram Rohilla, Head, Entomology Department of the university, said if relative humidity touched 70 per cent or above and the average temperature ranged between 25 and 30° C for the next two to three weeks, the condition would be conducive for white fly, leaf hopper and spotted boll warm attacks on cotton crop.

He, however, said the population of sucking pests like mealybug and thrips, which were active on cotton crop till last week, was likely to come down if good rains hit the region.

He, however, advised farmers to monitor the cotton fields regularly and if the incidence of any insect and pest or disease was found to be two leaf hoppers per leaf, six white fly per leaf and 5 per cent incidence of spotted boll warm on fruiting bodies, they should immediately adopt control measures and spray the crop with recommended insecticides.

Rohilla said in order to protect the cotton crop from bacterial blight and fungal diseases, a combination of streptocycline (6 g) and copper oxychloride (600-800 gm) in 200 litres of water could be sprayed in one acre of land. This should be repeated after 15-20 days.