Jhajjar, July 20
The seven-day-long stalemate in the gotra controversy over a “forbidden marriage” continued in Dharana village here today as the Kadyan Barha khap panchayat, whose hundreds of members and supporters have been sitting on dharna at a village school since last evening, categorically declined to alter its stand on throwing out the Gehlout family from the village.

Though the Gehlout khap, which today pitched its stand in favour of the Gehlout family, along with the district authorities made several efforts to find out an amicable solution to the controversy, the panchayat turned down all proposals offered on behalf of the family and remained resolute on expulsion of the entire Gehlout family.

Once both the parties agreed that only the family of Rohtash, father of Ravinder Gehlout, would leave the village while his two brothers, Nasib Singh and Ved Prakash, would be allowed to live in the village after paying a hefty fine of Rs 21,000 each. However, the matter remained unresolved when the duo declined to give a written undertaking in this regard.

Later, the khap decided to carry on their dharna in support of its verdict till the eviction of the Gehlout family from Dharana village.

“The khap panchayat has been also mulling over convening a mahapanchayat in order to chalk out its further course of action to get its order of expulsion executed smoothly. The panchayat representatives have started inviting another Kadyan khaps working in and outside the state,” a member of the panchayat said, claiming that the panchayat would not withdraw its judgment at any cost.

Though the District Magistrate, in view of the tense situation, had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC banning assembly of five or more persons and carrying of weapons of offence in the village, the order was violated candidly as both the parties were holding meetings with a significant numbers of persons for contemplating over the issue. However, the police has been deployed in the village to avoid any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against unidentified members of the khap in connection with yesterday’s clash in which a tehsildar and about 18 police personnel sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, Ravinder Gehlout, who had consumed some poisonous substance three days ago bowing to the pressure of the khap panchayat’s dictum, was discharged from the PGIMS, Rohtak. He left for Delhi along with his cousin Narender soon after the discharge.

“The situation is tense but under control at the village,” said Jhajjar SSP Saurabh Singh.

Chandigarh, July 20
Notwithstanding the recent setback to the INLD caused by the desertions of several senior leaders, the BJP will project Om Prakash Chautala as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance in the next Assembly elections in Haryana.

Stating this here today newly appointed president of the Haryana BJP Krishan Pal Gurjar said his party had no objection to the name of Chautala as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance. Earlier, after becoming the party president, Gurjar had said that the issue of Chief Minister would be decided by the MLAs of the two parties after the elections.

When reminded of his earlier statement, Gurjar said he had only stated the technical position because the leader of the legislature party was elected only after the poll by the elected representatives. Otherwise the BJP had no objection to Chautala’s name.

Accusing the Hooda government of nepotism in the recruitment to government jobs, Gurjar demanded a White Paper on the issue.

He alleged that 70 per cent of the jobs were being given to residents of the Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency.

He also demanded a CBI inquiry into what he called a land scandal worth over Rs 50,000 crore. He said valuable land was given to Reliance for developing a special economic zone about three years ago on the ground that it would generate huge employment opportunities. “Neither has the zone been developed, nor has employment been generated,” he added. Gurjar said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had discriminated against those who paid their electricity bills regularly by waiving Rs 1,600 crore arrears in electricity charges.

Those who paid their bills regularly were feeling cheated. He said the issue of party ticket distribution with the INLD would be settled soon.

Reacting to the INLD desertions, Gurjar said this would not impact the INLD much as the party's cadre was strong and intact. He said these desertions had been engineered by Hooda to counter the anti-incumbency factor.

He said there would be a direct fight between the Congress and the NDA as the HJC-BSP combine had no influence in the state.

Hinting at minor organisational changes, Gurjar said people would be entrusted with responsibilities according to their capabilities.

Gurjar supported the role of the khap panchayats but said there was no place for violence.

Hisar, July 20
Former Finance Minister Sampat Singh, who quit the INLD last week, said here today that he intended to join another political party soon and would thereafter “follow the policies of that party in toto.”

Talking to the mediapersons here about his future plans he said it would not be the right moment to disclose name of the party, but the party he would choose would be a “pro-farmer and pro-poor political organisation.”

Asked about the reaction by Devi Lal’s son Ranjit Singh to his statement that the Former Deputy Prime Minister did not consider his sons as loyal to him, Sampat Singh said, “He was referring only to Om Parkash Chautala.”

He said if his statement had hurt the feelings of any other member of the Devi Lal family, he deeply regretted it.

He reiterated that the INLD’s downhill slide began after the demise of Devi Lal as party supremo Om Parkash Chautala “commercialised” the party by making the followers of Devi Lal in the party just bystanders.

Sampat Singh said the INLD had never lost an election so long as Devi Lal was alive. But, after his death in 2001, the party lost every election it contested.

Chandigarh, July 20
In view of a large number of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Kurukshetra to take a dip in Sannihit Sarovar on the occasion of Solar Eclipse on July 22, the Transport Department, Haryana, has set up four temporary bus stands for July 21 and 22 for the convenience of the pilgrims.

These are Mirjapur on the Kurukshetra-Dhand road, Narkatari on the Kurukshtera-Pehowa road, Jhansa Chungi on the Kurukshetra-Ismailabad-Thol road and Dayalpur on the Kurukshetra new bus stand road.

Haryana Transport Minister Mange Ram Gupta said the General Manager, Haryana Roadways, Kurukshetra, who would be the overall in charge of the mela, had been directed to make all basic arrangements such as water, electricity, toilets and telephone with the help of the district administration.

Five traffic managers with adequate staff had also been posted on the temporary bus stands for providing buses to the pilgrims and to control the traffic, Gupta said, adding that nearby states had also been requested to provide adequate bus service to the pilgrims.

He said the general managers of all 20 depots of Haryana Roadways had been directed to provide at least 10 buses each for the mela. Necessary spare parts had been made available to nearby workshops to ensure the smooth bus service.

Gupta pointed out that Haryana Roadways, Kurukshetra, would run special local buses in between Pipli-Kurukshetra and Kurukshetra-Jyotisar. The general managers, Haryana Roadways, Delhi, Faridabad and Sonepat, would ensure that at least 10 buses of their depots were parked at the Kurukshetra bus stand at the time of dispersal on July 22.

Haryana Roadways, Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar, would operate special buses for Haridwar and Haryana Roadways Delhi, Sonepat and Faridabad for Mathura side as per public demand, he added.

Rohtak, July 20
Relatives of Alka, who had committed suicide at the IG’s office after she was allegedly gangraped, and members of a social body have been sitting on dharna demanding the release of Sunil, husband of the deceased.

Accusing the police and the administration of twisting the case in order to pressurise them to keep silent, the protesters, including two minor kids of Alka, have been sitting on dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner for over a week to register their protest against the arrest of Sunil and a delay in nabbing the culprits, who had allegedly gangraped Alka in 2006.

The police had arrested Sunil last week after registration of a case against him on a complaint reportedly lodged by the parents of Alka.

The agitation has received support from some of the social bodies, including the Jan Sangharsh Morcha. Demanding immediate release of Sunil from jail and impartial probe into the gangrape case, activists of the Jan Sangharsh Manch Haryana (JSMH) staged a demonstration along with Alka’s two children and their grandparents outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner here on Monday.

The protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to the Haryana Chief Minister seeking withdrawal of the murder case registered against Sunil, which it claimed was “false”.

The morcha also asked the state government to conduct a CBI probe into the gangrape case.

The activists of the JSMH took out a procession from the local railway station to the civil secretariat raising slogans against the Haryana police.

The activists led by its chief, Pal Singh, secretary Som Datt and joint secretary Bhagwat Swaroop submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding immediate release of Alka’s husband and impartial probe into the gangrape case and action against the “erring” police officials.

Alka, a resident of Panipat district, had allegedly consumed poisonous substance along with her husband at the IG’s office on May 6 in protest against the alleged inaction against the persons who had allegedly gangraped her.

Chandigarh, July 20
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today called upon meritorious students of the state to be the "brand ambassadors" of Haryana and announced the decision of the government to provide textbooks free of cost to students studying in Classes IX to XII in government schools from next year.

The Chief Minister was addressing the first Haryana Pratibha Samman Samaroh held at his residence here, where he honoured 131 students with cash awards ranging from Rs 11,000 to Rs 5 lakh for their outstanding academic performance and their achievements in various competitive exams.

While complimenting the award winners, the Chief Minister also appreciated the efforts made by their teachers and parents as that helped them realise their dreams. He quoted a saying of Swami Vivekananda, "Have faith in yourself, great convictions are the mother of great deeds."

He said although stress was being laid on the development of infrastructure to improve the quality of life, only states laying emphasis on education would prosper in the coming times. He added that education and health were priority areas for his government.

Hooda said a number of prominent institutions in the areas of technology, health, management and education were being set up in the state. Rajiv Gandhi Education City was fast coming up in Sonepat district, where foreign universities would also set up their campuses. Twentyfive per cent of the seats at Rajiv Gandhi Education City would be reserved for the students of Haryana with full fee or half-fee concession for bright students who could not afford higher education at such prominent institutes.

Haryana Education Minister Mange Ram Gupta highlighted the role of education in dispelling the darkness of illiteracy and developing the overall human personality.

Chief Secretary Dharam Vir also congratulated the award winners. He said that after going through the profiles of the award winners, it was revealed that those who excelled in the civil services exams did not hail from cities only but also from small villages and towns of the state.

It was announced that those students of Haryana who had excelled in the examinations of chartered accountant and other such exams would also be honoured. Earlier, the Chief Minister gave away cash awards to 131 outstanding students for their excellent performance in various examinations.

Sirsa, July 20
The Haryana Government has omitted a condition imposed on primary teachers working in the Elementary Education Department of the state whereby their services were liable to be dispensed with in case they did not complete their graduation till August 2010.

The decision will benefit thousands of primary teachers working the department, who joined duty prior to August 10, 2005.

The Haryana Government, through a notification dated August 10, 2005, had imposed a condition that those primary school teachers who had cleared 10+2 and were not graduates, the new qualification for primary school teachers, would have to complete their graduation within a period of five years from the date of the notification.

The condition further provided that in case such primary school teachers failed to complete their graduation within five years, their services would be liable to be dispensed with thereafter.

The condition further provided that after such primary school teachers fulfilled the condition of completing their graduation, they would be treated as new entrants to the Education Department from the date of issuance of the notification.

The teachers so treated as new entrants to the department were to be placed in pay scales as applicable to the new teachers recruited by the government.

Earlier, before issuing this notification, the government had decided at a cabinet meeting to revise the prescribed qualifications for teachers from JBT and plus two to JBT and graduation.

It was decided that individuals who had already cleared the JBT course and had only the plus two qualification should be considered eligible for employment as primary school teachers for a period of two years, that is till the new JBT passouts who were graduates became eligible.

It was also decided that individuals under the plus two category would be required to comply with the condition of doing graduation within a period of five years.

Though a number of primary school teachers had already completed their graduation and some others were in the process of completing it, the condition was being considered too harsh as some primary teachers who had already completed decades of service, were finding it hard to resume their studies at this age.

However, in its fresh orders issued on July 2, 2009, which were received at the district headquarters recently, the government has omitted all these conditions and the primary school teachers, who have been working in the department before the August 10, 2005, notification have now been exempted from completing their graduation now. 

Chandigarh, July 20
Haryana’s failure to submit requisite information to the court in cops’ recruitment matter has cost the state dear and has led to the issuance of directions to the functionaries to be present in court on time to assist the state counsel.

Justice Ranjit Singh has directed the furnishing of necessary information to the court subject to payment of Rs 5,000 costs each in as many as 11 petitions.

Justice Ranjit Singh, on the previous date of hearing, had asked candidates aggrieved by the selections to appear before the staff selection commission on July 14. They were to be shown the results of the trials recorded on a video. The state was also asked to file the details of the results on the basis of the video recording.

As petitions filed by Sanjeev Kumar of Karnal and other petitioners came up for hearing, Justice Ranjit Singh observed despite directions, the affidavit indicating the result as depicted in the video had not been filed. “In the first round, the cases were passed over to await the person from the commission to reach. Even during the second round, no one has come to assist the state counsel (senior deputy advocate-general Harish Rathee).

“A person, who has come to assist the state counsel is required to be present in court at 10. it is not his discretion to come at leisure,” Justice Ranjit Singh added, while fixing Tuesday as the next date of hearing. 

Ambala, July 20
Life-term prisoners lodged in various jails in the state will now enjoy the company of their family members for few days on the jail premises.

IG (Prison) RC Mishra, while talking to the mediapersons, said here today the jail department had planned to construct guesthouses on the jail premises, where the life term and other long term prisoners could spend a week along with his family members at least once in a year. He said this humanitarian scheme was initiated on the pattern of open jail concept.

He said the construction of district jails at Faridabad and Yamunanagar was almost completed while three new jails had been planned at Panchkula, Mewat and Rewari. He said it would reduce the load of the central jails where prisoners had been kept more than their actual capacity.

Mishra said Neem trees would be planted on all jail premises in huge number as it helped to keep the environment pollution free. Some ornamental and fruit trees would also be planted outside the jail premises. He said he wanted to make the jails environment friendly. He said in future the jails would be recognised as ‘Sudhar Greh’.

He added that all prisoners would be provided technical skills with the help of ITI so that after releasing from the jail they could earn their livelihood.

He offered certificate of technical training to 119 prisoners in the jail today. Mishra said literacy classes had also been started in the jails so that none of the prisoners could remain illiterate.

Later he visited the jail and met some of the prisoners to listen their grievance. Superintendent of jail SPS Chauhan was also present on this occasion.

Chandigarh, July 20
Taking up a petition blaming seven educational institutions for charging excessive free for admission to JBT course, Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for August 13.

Fatehabad, July 20
A youth, who was admitted to General Hospital here yesterday, was found murdered this morning. The victim identified as Surinder (22) was allegedly strangled to death and his body was found lying in the stairs going towards the terrace. 

The SP, Dr CS Rao, and DSP Nripjit Singh visited the hospital and the body of the victim was handed over to the family after a postmortem. Surinder was allegedly beaten up by some unknown persons yesterday evening in Bhodia Khera village, following which his kin had admitted him to General Hospital at about 7 pm yesterday.

The doctor, who visited the male ward of the hospital at about 10 pm, found him missing from the bed. The hospital staff searched for him, but could not find him anywhere. The hospital staff found him lying in the stairs today morning and informed the police. The DSP said a case had been registered. He added that the victim’s kin had made the case mysterious by refusing to give any statement to the police.