Sirsa, August 3
His own life may be devoid of any colours but still he has been “spreading colours” for people around him.

Sahib Ram (36), a resident of Nejiakhera village in this district, has been serving life imprisonment at the Sirsa District Jail for murdering his wife.

Before he was jailed, he was earning a living for his family, which comprised his wife and three children, by working as a painter in the village. He used to paint number plates of tractors and other vehicles and made pictures.

To beat melancholy inside the high walls of the jail, Sahib Ram lifted the brush and started painting on the walls of the jail compound. He has already painted all walls of the jail with quotable quotes, paintings of patriots and gods and goddesses. He has also painted the names of various blocks of the jail on the entrance of these blocks.

Sahib Ram has three children, a daughter and two sons, who are now living with their grandparents.

Daughter Pooja (10) is studying in class V, while sons Bajrang (14) and Bhagirath (12) are in class IX and VI, respectively.

Sahib Ram has also been training other fellow prisoners and till now 10 prisoners have learnt the art of painting from him. He devotes four hours in a day for painting and providing training to other inmates.

“I wish all prisoners, who learn the art of painting from me, to make it their profession after going out of the jail and forget their criminal background,” said Sahib Ram, who still repents the day when his life changed forever.

“It was sometime before Diwali festival when my wife insisted on visiting her parents. There was an altercation over the issue and in a spur of a moment I lost her,” said a poignant Sahib Ram.

Meanwhile, the jail authorities are happy with the work and conduct of Sahib Ram. “He has done a lot of painting work inside the jail premises, which include writing of jail guidelines, wall painting of quotations and portraits,” said jail superintendent JS Sethi.

Yamunanagar, August 3
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a special scheme to provide financial aid to the victims of communal riots and caste violence. So far, the ministry has granted Rs 30 crore to help 10,000 riots-hit children of different states for their care and education, said Dr Lalit Kumar, secretary of the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous body of the MHA.

Financial assistance is also provided to the state administrations, NGOs, educational and other institutions to promote and propagate communal harmony, brotherhood and national integration, he said while talking to The Tribune after launching a nationwide campaign for communal harmony and national integration at MLN College, here.

For financial assistance, the victims can file their claim through the deputy commissioner and the social welfare department. Besides other places, this campaign would be launched in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Orrisa, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, he added.

Yamunanagar is the first district from where the campaign has been launched in collaboration with the district administration and the police by organising a seminar and a skit in view of the recent incident of damaging of public property by some groups after the incident of a fatal attack on religious leaders in Vienna in May.

Giving details about other works, Dr Lalit Kumar said in Jammu and Kashmir, the ministry had already been working for the rehabilitation and development of children and women, all victims of communal riots and other incidents of violence. “In Assam, we have been working to assist and provide help to the victims of ethnic violence,” he said.

Addressing the seminar, IG (Jail) RC Mishra said violent activities were a big hurdle in the process of development. “It is the moral responsibility of all religious leaders and people of the country to promote communal harmony. India, the land of spiritual teachers, is known for its unity in diversity. The spiritual preachers of our country are now teaching yoga, meditation and religion to people across the world. We have to feel and acknowledge the importance of being Indian. We should also dedicate ourselves to maintain communal harmony and national integration”.

Deputy commissioner Amit Kumar Aggarwal said it was a great effort of the NFCH to spread awareness about communal harmony. “Proper awareness and education will help people diffuse any communal crisis. This is high time that we concentrate only on the development of the country. The countries like the US and China have been witnessing steady development because of less incidents of violence,” he added.

“A peace committee, comprising religious leaders, social workers, teachers and other prominent persons, has also been formed to work in coordination with the district administration and the police in case of any clash and violence as per the MHA directions,” said, SP Vikas Arora. From the past experience, it has come to light that religious leaders, NGOs and prominent people can play a vital role in preventing communal violence, he added.

Giving details about the financial aid, education officer of the NFCH Tripurari Rai said the ministry  had been providing financial  aid of Rs 9,600 per year to the  children of urban areas and  Rs 9,000 to the children of rural areas. The NFCH had also started national communal harmony awards for individuals and organisations for their outstanding contribution to promote communal harmony and national integration, he added.

Sonepat, August 3
Though Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had issued directions to the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) for the allotment of a 2,000 sq yd plot to the Gohana Commission Agents Union in new grain market here for the construction of a temple and dharamsala, the land has not been transferred to the latter so far.

The Board claimed to have allotted the plot to the union in 2002 at a cost of Rs 9,79,441, but the union has not made the payment till date. Now, the Board has been demanding about Rs 19 lakh, including interest on the actual cost for seven years at the rate of 12 per cent per annum.

Union representatives Ramdhari Jindal, Rajinder Bharti, Umed Singh, Mor, Shushil Goyal, Ram Mehar Rohilla, Shyam Lal Sharma and Ramesh Aggarwal claim that when they along with Gohana Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Malik and Dr Santosh Bajaj, met Hooda in this regard, the CM had directed the HSAMB authorities not to charge any penalty or interest. “However, the officers of the Board are not ready to listen without making the payment of Rs 19 lakh,” they said.

The Union had twice fixed the time and date for laying the foundation stone of the project, but it could not do so for want of the transfer of the plot.

Chandigarh, August 3
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has invited applications for the national awards by August 14 for the empowerment of persons with disabilities. The awards will be presented on December 3 on the occasion of the “International Day of Disabled Persons”.

While stating this here recently, an official spokesman of the state government said the awards would be presented in 12 categories.

These are the Best Employees/Self-Employed with Disabilities, Best Employers and Placement Officer/Agency, Best Individual and Institution Working for the Cause of Persons with Disabilities, Role Model Awards, Best Applied Research/Innovation/ Product Development aimed at Improving the Life of Persons with Disabilities, Outstanding Work in the Creation of Barrier-Free Environment for the Persons with Disabilities, Best District in providing Rehabilitation Services, Best Local-Level Committee of National Trust, Best State Channelising Agency of National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation, Outstanding Creative Adult Persons with Disabilities, Best Creative Child with Disabilities and Best Braille Press awards.

The awards include a cash prize ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh, a citation, a certificate and a shield.

He said under the category of the awards to the most outstanding employees, the awards would be presented to outstanding employees with disabilities regardless of whether they were serving in the public, government or private sector. Preference would be given to the placement of women with disabilities, particularly, from the rural areas and self-employed women. Women with disabilities were encouraged to send their nomination for the awards.

Rohtak, August 3
An amount of Rs 1,136 crore will be spent on the six-laning of the two main highways connecting Rohtak with Delhi and Panipat.

While work on the widening of the 63-km Rohtak-Delhi stretch is under way and is likely to be completed in a year, the authorities have announced to take up the six-laning of the Rohtak-Panipat highway soon.

The government has also announced to start work on widening of the present highways connecting Rohtak with Jind and Rewari.

“Motorists will be able to move at a higher speed on the Rohtak-Delhi road and save precious time, as this stretch will be six-laned and made operational in a year’s time, said a spokesperson for the government.

He said a new bypass would connect the Rohtak-Delhi highway with the Rohtak-Panipat highway. It would emanate from Kharawar village here and touch the Panipat road after bypassing Ghilaur village.

Karnal, August 3
An environment friendly beautification plan for Karnal is under way. A major component of the ambitious plan drawn up by deputy commissioner JS Alhawat is the plantation of 12 lakh saplings in the district.

The plantation drive, which has already been launched, would be completed by end of September.

Besides forest and horticulture departments, educational institutions, local urban bodies, panchayats and NGOs would be actively involved in the drive and efforts would be made to ensure the survival of new plantations.

Karnal was considered to be least polluted town in Haryana in the past with vast areas of land covered under research programmes of institutions of the Indian Council for Agricultural research (ICAR) like NDRI, IARI, CSSRI etc.

This green corridor insulated Karnal from congestion and pollution, but the expansion of the town across the National Highway no. 1 has deprived the new colonies, being developed by HUDA and other developers, of green cover.

Meanwhile, Alhawat said awareness on new plantations would be made to motivate people to take compensatory afforestation to make for the loss of green cover due to rapid urbanisation.

The road from Liberty Chowk to the NDRI would be illuminated and 62 streetlights would be installed along the 1-km stretch at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. The inner road passing through the sectors 6, 7, 8 and 9 of HUDA would be renovated and provided streetlights and dividers.

Karan Talab (Lake), the main attraction of the town, is also being given a facelift with the addition of five fountains, swings for children, and the construction of footpaths. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 90 lakh.

A 1-km long footpath from Purani Jail to the NDRI has already been constructed to facilitate pedestrians. All ongoing works would be completed in a record time to give a new look to the town, Alhawat said.

Kaithal, August 3
The construction work of railway overbridge on the Kaithal-Jind Road here is in full swing. In spite of rainy season, hundreds of labourers are working on the site which is likely to be completed by June 2010.

With the opening of this bridge, road users will have a smooth and unobstructed drive on this stretch of the road.

Residents and other road users have a tough time due to the location of the level crossing, which remains closed a number of times in a day. People had been raising the demand for the construction of an overbridge for the past about three decades.

Ultimately, their hopes were rekindled when the efforts of local MLA Shamsher Singh Surjewala yielded results and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda laid the foundation stone of this project. The people also give credit for this project to MP Naveen Jindal and Haryana Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala who coordinated their efforts and prevailed upon the Railway Ministry to grant sanction for this project which had been hanging fire for the past many years.

Initially, the work was allotted to Zoom Developers, a Bombay-based company, in January 2008, and the work was to be completed within 15 months. However, the company reportedly took the services of a sub-contractor who due to the lack of resources could not execute the project expeditiously and the Public Works Department (PWD) terminated the contract as only 8 per cent work had been completed till January 2009. The work was reallocated to a Panchkula-based Mann Construction Company.

This 1.05-km long bridge is being constructed at a cost of Rs 28 crore and would be an important milestone in the development of this area. New Mandi and Transport Nagar would be directly connected to the main town and the traffic hazards would be minimised.

However, there is resentment among the road users against the PWD which has failed to do its homework properly before starting the construction on this site. It has not provided alternative motorable routes to the road users before closing this road for the construction of the bridge. The department also failed to provide sufficient notice boards to guide the road users who have to use damaged and potholed roads to reach the Jind Road.

Fatehabad, August 3
Seven college lecturers, who had been working in the Government College for Women, Bhodia Khera, near here, on a contractual basis, had been running from pillar to post after they were removed from their posts allegedly against the government policy.

Indrawati, a lecturer in Hindi; Neelu and Kiran Kumari, lecturers in political science; Renu Jangra, a lecturer in physical education; Minakshi Dahiya, a lecturer in English; Sharmila, a lecturer in commerce; and Payal Mangla, a lecturer in computer science were working in the college on a contractual basis till June 22, 2009, when they were relieved by the principal stating that their services were needed till March 31, 2009.

“We have been wrongly removed from the duties despite the orders of the government to continue us for the next session. The guest lecturers working in the government colleges of neighbouring towns like Sirsa, Ratia, Adampur, Bhattu Kalan and Tohana are still in their jobs, but our services have been dispensed with even as there is an acute shortage of teachers in the college. There are only 23 permanent lecturers against the requirement for 50 lecturers,” said Minakshi.

Interestingly, when these teachers approached the state higher education commissioner, the directions were issued to the principals of all government colleges of the state not to relieve the guest teachers working in their colleges.

But, ironically, the cases of these lecturers have still been left undecided.

“The government has decided that the guest lecturers who were engaged in the colleges during the session 2008-09 and are still continuing may be continued as per available workload unless there is some specific case of indiscipline against him or her as laid down in the terms of the contract. The instructions pertaining to the lecturers who were relieved on, before or after March 31, 2009, by their respective principals shall be conveyed separately later on,” said the letter dated July 22, 2009, issued by the higher education commissioner.

Minakshi alleged that they had been suffering due to a wrong decision taken by the principal, who remained in the college for a month only and relieved them of the duties without any fault of theirs.

She said some of removed teachers were MPhil and had not cleared the NET examination and under the new regulations of the UGC, they would not be able to get a job afresh in future.

Yamunanagar, August 3
“Children belonging to the poor families are getting education only in government and government-aided private schools in the state. So the government should sanction 95 per cent grant to the aided schools to help them function properly and serve the needy students,” said chairman of DAV schools Vijay Kapur while addressing a press conference here recently.

He said in the adjoining states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, the governments had been granting 95 per cent aid to the aided schools.

Giving details, Kapur said the state government had already sanctioned 95 per cent grant to the government-aided colleges. Besides, the UGC had also been helping the colleges by provide grants for different projects.

“I request the Chief Minister to extend the same grant to the government-aided schools. We have been running schools in the rural areas for providing free education to poor children. We are facing financial crunch to meet our expenses. If the government gives us 95 per cent aid, we can cope up with the increasing financial burden. Proper education is the only solution for the empowerment of the poor people,” he added.

Chandigarh, August 3
After the dismal performance of the BJP-INLD alliance during the recent Lok Sabha elections, an intense debate has started within the party on the desirability of continuing with the alliance.

Those who were opposed to the alliance from the very beginning, are again up in arms against any tie-up with the INLD of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in future. They say by entering into an alliance with the INLD, the party has lost its face not only among its grass-root workers but also among its voters, which are mainly concentrated in the urban areas. It is no secret that the INLD is not popular among the urban voters. When the BJP projected Chautala as the next Chief Minister of the state, the urban voter tilted towards the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. Though the BJP never openly claims to be a party of non-Jats, the general perception about it is of being a party of trading communities, which are primarily non-Jats, despite a large number of Jats having turned businessmen in the recent years. Thus the party’s alliance with the INLD deprived it of its non-Jat plank as well.

The grass-root BJP workers, who had to suffer humiliation during the INLD regime from 2000 to 2005, did not put their heart in campaigning for the alliance candidates. For five years, the party leadership had been assuring them that in future the party would contest the elections in the state on its own. When, despite almost unanimous opposition by the state unit, the high command decided to go for an alliance with the INLD, the workers felt let down.

On the other hand, many, particularly those candidates who hope to get the INLD support in the rural areas, are opposed to snapping the ties with the Chautalas at this juncture. The supporters of the alliance say that the next Assembly elections must be contested in alliance with the INLD so that the party is at least able to open its account in the Vidhan Sabha.

The opponents of the alliance say that after the Lok Sabha elections, the INLD strength in the state has been depleted. It has suffered major setbacks after several of its senior leaders quit the party to join the Congress. The party is no longer being perceived by the voters as an alternative to the Congress, as it once used to be.

The Haryana voter is no longer enamoured of regional parties as it feels that once in power the leadership of a regional party tends to behave like a dictator. Therefore, in future, if a national party behaves responsibly, it can strengthen its roots in the state.

However, those who have inside information about the BJP, are sceptic about the party walking out of the alliance with the INLD. They say Chautala has entrenched himself with certain central BJP leaders so strongly that they would not allow the party to part company with the INLD. They say these leaders were the architect of the BJP’s alliance with Chautala in the first place. These leaders cannot afford to leave their mission unaccomplished as their brief was to continue the alliance with the INLD in the Assembly elections also.

Hisar, August 3
The induction of several INLD leaders in the Congress last month has created a problem of plenty for the ruling party, especially in Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts, as the newcomers vie for party tickets with Congressmen who have been with the party for years.

A battle royal for the Congress ticket will feature former Finance Minister Sampat Singh in the Fatehabad Assembly segment from where sitting Congress legislator and parliamentary secretary Dura Ram is a strong contender. He is a nephew of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. He remained in the Congress even as the Bishnoi clan went on to establish the HJC (BL).

Sampat Singh had represented the constituency once when he was elected from there in 1998 in a byelection after losing the 1996 election from his original constituency Bhattu Kalan. The problem for him is that the Bhattu Kalan constituency has since been disbanded and he is now eyeing Fatehabad.

But, adding to the party’s woes, Kulbir Beniwal, sitting Congress MLA from Bhattu Kalan, is also without a constituency and for him, too, Fatehabad is a natural choice. Thus, for this particular seat the party has three contenders.

The Congress can shift Dura Ram to Adampur, the pocket borough of Bhajan Lal, from where his younger son former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi is certain to contest. Understandably, Dura Ram will be on a slippery wicket if he fielded from there. So he is not likely to yield his turf.

Since Sampat Singh had contested from Adampur against Bhajan Lal as the INLD nominee last year and lost, both Dura Ram and Kulbir Beniwal will want him shifted to Adampur. However, Sampat Singh is unlikely to accept Adampur.

The party can field Kulbir Beniwal from Adampur and the proposal could be acceptable to him should he be denied a transfer to Fatehebad. But, this will not be acceptable to Ranjit Singh, deputy chairperson of the State Planning Board and a son of late Devi Lal, who had contested Adampur as the Congress nominee last year.

Likewise, Sushil Indora, who joined the Congress recently after quitting his Ellenabad Assembly seat from where he was elected on INLD ticket in 2005, is also looking for a safe haven outside this segment. He is reported to be eyeing Kalanwali, Ratia and Uklana where the Congress already has strong contenders.

Ram Kumar Gautam, who won from the Narnaund Assembly segment of this district in 2005 on the BJP ticket, has since joined the Congress. He is hoping to be nominated by the Congress. However, Dr Ajay Singh, too, has a strong claim on the seat. He was the party nominee in 2005. Currently, he is OSD to Union Minister Shelja. His father represented the seat for several decades before his untimely death.

The next few weeks will see these turf wars assume dangerous proportions and in the end, the new entrants may end up as a serious headache for the party.