Sirsa, September 11
Kuldeep Nanda, general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, and Pawan Godara, president of the Rajasthan Youth Congress, the two observers of the AICC for Sirsa, had to face a tough time today in the local Congress Bhawan when a large number of supporters of the 106 aspirants for the Congress ticket from five Assembly seats of the district laid a virtual siege, occupying almost every inch of the building and the surrounding areas.

While most of aspirants appeared before the observers in person, many others sent their bio-data through their supporters.

Interestingly, veteran Congress leader and Haryana Minister for Industries, Commerce, Mines and Geology, who has been in a dilemma over contesting himself or fielding his daughter Sunita Setia, did not apply for the ticket today.

However, an application on behalf of Sunita Setia, chairperson of the Improvement Trust, was submitted to the observers.

District Congress president Hoshiari Lal Sharma, Block Congress president Bhupesh Mehta and Anand Biyani are among the 15 aspirants who have submitted their bio-data for the Sirsa Assembly seat.

Gurjeet Singh Kaura, a senior Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer, Bharat Singh Beniwal, a member of the dissolved Assembly from Darba Kalan, and Malkiat Singh Khosa are among the 20 aspirants who have sought the ticket from Ellenabad.

Kalanwali (reserved) attracted the maximum 41 aspirants, including former MP Mani Ram Keharwala, IYC secretary Naresh Kalia and Pushpa Nagra.

Ranjit Singh, deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, Jagdish Nehra, a former minister, and Shilpa Verma, president of the District Mahila Congress, are among the 20 aspirants for the Rania seat, while KV Singh, former OSD to the Chief Minister, Ravi Chautala and Kuldeep Gadrana have sought the ticket from Dabwali.

While the observers met the aspirants or their representatives one by one, their supporters raised slogans in and outside the Congress Bhawan.

Vehicular traffic remained paralysed near the Congress Bhawan throughout the day as a large number of Congress workers assembled as a show of strength for their respective leaders.

Chandigarh, September 11
The Haryana Janhit Congress of Kuldeep Bishnoi today released its first list of 26 candidates for the assembly elections.

This has also led to a revolt by former minister Devender Sharma, a long-standing lieutenant of Bhajan Lal. Sharma wanted the ticket from Thanesar, from where Bishnoi has fielded Balkar Singh. Sharma today joined the BSP, which till a few days ago had an alliance with the HJC.

Bishnoi himself will contest from the traditional family seat of Adampur in Hisar district.

The party has fielded former MLA Rakesh Kamboj from Indri; former MLA Satpal Sangwan from Dadri; former MLA Ran Singh Mann from Badhra; former MLA Rao Narinder Singh from Narnaul and former minister Surinder Madan from Kaithal.

Former MLA Mula Ram will contest from Nangal Choudhry; former MLA Chander Bhatia from Ballabhgarh; former minister Brij Mohan Singh from Jind and former minister Brijender Kadian from Panipat (Rural).

Roshan Lal will be the HJC nominee from Ateli; Shakti Singh Rawat from Hathin; Dharam singh Chhokar from Samalakha; Kanwal Singh from Tosham; Nirmal Choudhry, who defected from the BSP, from Ganaur; Vinod Bhyana from Hansi; Vir Bhan Mehta from Sirsa and Mangat Ram from Ratia (SC).

From Uklana (SC) it will be Rajbala Dhanak; from Barwala Subhash Taak; from Ferozepur Jhirka Aman Ahmed; Safidon Jai Bhagwan Sharma; Ambala City Puran Prakash Saini; Bahadurgarh Pandit Raj Singh and from Naraingarh Bhoom Singh Rana.

Chandigarh, September 11
The INLD has accused the Hooda government of continuing to violate the Model Code of Conduct. In a letter to the Election Commission of India, secretary of the INLD Nachhattar Singh Malhan has claimed that the state government continues to use the services of media advisors at Chandigarh and Delhi despite the dissolution of the assembly.

The INLD leader has pointed out that the state government has allotted two vehicles to each minister, besides a pilot vehicle. Also, vehicles allotted for use at official residence are being used in the constituency.

He has demanded that cases against all such ministers be registered for using official transport for furtherance of political interests.

“Contrary to guidelines, the Haryana Bhawans are been monopolised by Congress activists and its aspirants for the party ticket and no request for allotment of accommodation in these rest houses is being entertained,” he has alleged.

Jind, September 11
One person was killed when a wall of a house collapsed at Gosainkhera village this morning due to heavy rain. Hawa Singh, 60, was sleeping on a cot when the wall fell on him. He was pulled out of the debris by neighbours but succumbed to injuries while on way to hospital.

A station master was kiled in Gurgaon.

Heavy rains have lashed the district during the past over 48 hours, recording 60 mm of rainfall.

Birmati, wife of Gyani Ram, a resident of Hakikat Nagar, was injured when part of the roof of her house fell on her. There are reports of at least five more houses and the boundary wall of a private school being damaged.

Incessant showers for the past over 36 hours have inundated several low-lying areas in both urban and rural areas. The showers have resulted in traffic jams and heavy damage to link roads and highways. Experts in the Revenue and Agriculture Department describe the situation as grim.

A report from Gurgaon said a station master, who was staying at a house in the Jatola station, near here, died when the roof of his room collapsed in the wee hours today.

According to reports, when a train stopped at the station, passengers saw the roof collapsing. They took out the victim, Roop Ram, from the debris in a serious condition.

Roop Ram was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. His wife and son received minor injuries.

Fatehabad/Sirsa: Intermittent rain since yesterday has thrown life out of gear in Fatehabad even as light drizzle has turned the weather pleasant in Sirsa.

Heavy rain today resulted in waterlogging on Bighar Road, Old Court Road, Jawahar Chowk, Bhattu Road and the highway. Jawahar Chowk was the worst-hit with water entering several shops.

Old Court Road remained under 3 ft feet deep water making the highway inaccessible to residents of Jagjivan Pura. Sewers of the public health department were blocked. In the absence of a sewage treatment plant, the public health authorities dispose of drainage water into the fields. Few farmers are willing to allow this at the time of rains.

Agriculture experts say today’s showers will benefit the rabi crops. The rain is harmful for the cotton crop, but the cotton belt of Sirsa and Fatehabad has not seen much rain so far.

Reports of houses submerged in water have been received from Assandh and Jundla areas too.

Rewari, September 11
Incessant rain threw life out of gear in the town here last night with rainwater entering numerous houses in the Housing Board Colony. Many residents had to spend the night on rooftops.

Aggrieved residents blocked traffic at Rajiv Gandhi Chowk. The 3 ft-4 ft deep water rendered the electric motors at the water works near Dharuhera Chowk non-operative. As a result, the water supply remained cut off.

A number of houses collapsed in the downpour at Vikas Nagar and Ram Singhpura Colony. Residents of Model Town, Nai Abadi, Nai Basti, Madhu Vihar, Sadhu Shah Nagar and several other colonies were also hit.

The DC has ordered closure of schools.A report from Gurgaon said the Shatabdi from Delhi to Ajmer remained stranded for about three hours near Paatli village with rail tracks submerged under rainwater. The movement of Mandwar Express and Pooja Express too was affected.

The district administration has set up a control room for providing information on flooded areas for remedial action in time. One can dial 0124-2303333 and 0124-2320508 fort help.

The control room will remain functional round the clock, said Gurgaon DC Rajender Kataria. — OC

Panipat, September 11
In view of the flood threat posed by heavy rain in the region over the past three days, the district administration today stepped up its efforts to keep the situation under control. The state authorities have already sounded an alert in Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat districts, along which the Yamuna flows.

Panic gripped a number of low-lying areas of the district in the Sanoli segment today. However, officials said the situation was under control.

It is learnt that a huge amount of water was released from the Hathnikund barrage at Tajewala headworks at regular intervals since last night. According to sources, lakhs of cusecs of water passed through the Western Yamuna Canal, keeping the local authorities on their toes.

District Revenue Officer VS Bathla, who has been monitoring the situation from the flood-control centre set up at the district headquarters, said as of now there was noting to fear, but in case the rain did not stop, the matter could become serious.

The rain has also affected most parts of Panipat city.

Meanwhile, according to a report from Yamunanagar, the threat of flood continues to loom large in over 50 villages situated in low-lying areas as a swollen Yamuna today damaged crops, mostly paddy, in several villages in Chhachhroli, Jagadhri and Radaur subdivisions here.

The condition deteriorated at 2 am when the water level of the river reached 4.20 lakh cusecs at the Hathnikund barrage and the river waters entered fields in several villages and also some houses.

Lal Chapra, Lakar and Behalpur villages were among the worst hit where water entered houses, said residents.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Agarwal said officials had been assigned the task to assess the damage in the low-lying areas.

Following information on release of four lakh cusecs of water into the Yamuna from the Tajewala headworks, a flood protection team led by Sonepat DC Ajit Joshi today inspected sensitive zones (diversion drain 6 and 8) in Rai region.

It directed the tehsildar to ensure a round-the-clock vigil at Akbarpur Barota and Bhaira Bankipur for protection of embankments of the drains and a check on the rising water level.

“We have alerted the offices concerned as well as the villages,” the DC said. Gohana has had 210 mm of rainfall, Sonepat 145 mm, Ganaur 143 mm and Kharkhoda 98 mm in the past two days.

The downpour may damage the standing kharif crop.

Karnal, September 11
At least 18 villages in Karnal district have been submerged in water while a dozen villages in Panipat face the threat of floods as gushing waters released from the Tajewala head of the Hathnikund barrage continued to wreak havoc along the banks of the Yamuna.

The low lying villages of Chandro Hansumajara, Nagli Nabibabad, Sayeed Chhapra, Shergarh Tapu, Mundigarhi, Behlolpur, Devipur, Nasipur, Mustafabad, Peer Badli, Bladara, Jammu Kalan, Dabkoli Kalan, Halwana, Kundu Kalan and Khirajpur in Karnal are under water.

Bharoma, Nangalpar ,Budanpur ,Bilaspur, Goela Khurd ,Tamsabad, Goelo Kalan, Rana Majara, Sonali Khurd Jalmana and Rakshera villages in Panipat are in danger of being flooded.

About 4.20-lakh cusecs of water released from the barrage, flowing southwards at a speed of 20 feet per second, had crossed Karnal and Indri villages, causing colossal loss to the crops, irrigational channels and paths. It was likely to cross Panipat and flow towards Delhi by mid night, if the flow of water continued with present speed.

The Irrigation and Public Health department has pressed JCBs into service to remove the blockades and plug the leakages but there was no way to check the floods, Executive engineer, P. K Verma said.

Though there was no human casualty, several hundred hectres of agriculture land was inundated, causing extensive damage to crops. The heavy rains in the catchment area of the Yamuna during the past two days had suddenly increased the discharge of water, creating flood-like situation in the region.

A high alert had been sounded and the people living in villages along the river banks had been advised to keep strict village and remain prepared in case of any eventuality caused by rising water in the river.

Rohtak, September 11
Heavy rain at the fag end of the monsoon may not be able to revive the hope of a good kharif season this year in the district due to an estimated 35 to 40 per cent drop in the overall sowing area due to less rain earlier. The rain being received now is likely to be beneficial for growing oilseed crops.

A total of 1,32,840 hectares had been cultivated of the total 1,42,047 hectares available for cultivation in the district. Farmers had to uproot some crops in some parts after these got damaged due to lack of water, said sources.

As per estimates prepared by the Agriculture Department, among the kharif crops sown in the district, the area under paddy has been reduced to 16,200 hectares from 38,500 hectares last year, a drop of about 60 per cent.

Stating that the exact figures would be available later, an official said the area under bajra, which had been sown on 20,500 hectares last year, might see a fall of about 48 per cent to just 11,500 hectares.

The area under jowar and maize was likely to slip from the earlier 25,000 hectares to about 18,700 hectares this time, witnessing a decrease of about 30 per cent.

Chandigarh, September 11
Haryana apparently wants “dead persons” to come alive and sign documents for retrial benefits. Taking exception to the “unreasonable” approach adopted by the Haryana Government, Justice Ranjit Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court virtually passed strictures against the state functionaries, while dismissing its petition with Rs 20,000 as costs.

The scathing observations against the state and its functionaries came in connection with a petition filed by Veer Bhan. Justice Ranjit Singh exclaimed: “How unreasonable the government functionary can be, may be noticed from this case. Veer Bhan’s wife Pushpa Lata died after prolonged illness. She was paralysed. In 2004, prior to her death, she sought voluntarily retirement on attaining the age of 54 years. Since she was suffering from paralysis, she could not visit the office to sign papers.”

Elaborating, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “What an attitude by a welfare state. Instead of realising their responsibility to pay the retiral benefits to the legal heir (her husband), the respondents would choose to contest the writ petition as well… instead of helping a person, who has lost his wife after illness, they created one problem or the other for him. It cannot be denied that petitioner, being a legal heir, is entitled to receive the pensionary benefits due to his late wife.”

Justice Ranjit Singh further asserted: “Even after two years, he is still seeking release of pensionary benefits. He is forced to approach the court as well. After the death of the wife, the person who is eligible to claim the benefit, would be entitled to seek and sign the necessary documents. Surely, a dead person cannot come alive to sign documents.”

Paving way for the grant of benefits by allowing the writ petition, Justice Ranjit Singh concluded since the petitioner has been unnecessarily made to file this petition, which will have been a cause of mental harassment and agony to him after the death of his wife, he is held entitled to exemplary costs, Rs 20,000.

Sirsa, September 11
Alleging that no teaching work took place for the past one month due to a strike by teachers, irate students today locked up their institution, Government Polytechnic, on the local Rania Road.

Led by Roshan Lal Suchan, state convener of the All-India Students Federation (AISF), the students sat in dharna outside the college building after locking it from outside. “There has been no teaching work in Government Polytechnic for the past one month.

Teachers have been on strike, but the state government has not been listening to their demands thereby leaving students to suffer,” Suchan alleged, while addressing the protesting students.

He said the students would wait till Monday, after which they would launch an agitation against the government.

He said the teachers had assured them that they would teach overtime to complete their syllabi but that would happen only after their issues were addressed by the government.

The striking students also demanded better academic facilities and environment.

Among other things, they sought demanded filling of vacant posts of teachers, providing sufficient furniture for students and opening of a canteen in their institution.

Chandigarh, September 11
Haryana Commissioner of Health Anuradha Gupta is suffering from swine flu. Information made available to the Punjab and Haryana High Court suggests the 1981-batch IAS officer was admitted to the PGI with the dreaded malady, but is now at home.

Gupta had been directed to appear before the Bench in an admission matter. As the case came up, Haryana additional advocate-general RS Kundu informed the Bench of her illness. But Justice Permod Kohli was apparently not satisfied and ruled: “It appears the officer has deliberately evaded to appear in the court. Let the officer be summoned through bailable warrants for appearance before the court on the next date of hearing”.

Justice Permod Kohli observed: “Despite directions of this court for personal appearance of Anuradha Gupta, she has chosen not to appear. Kundu submits that the officer is suffering from swine flu and is admitted to the PGI. However, it is again stated that she is at home.”

Justice Kohli said: “No exemption from personal appearance, nor any medical evidence has been produced…. The bailable warrants be executed through the SSP, Chandigarh, who shall ensure the execution of warrants”. The case will now come up for further hearing on September 18

The court had earlier directed Gupta to appear in person and explain why contempt proceedings not be initiated against her.

In his petition, Awadh Kishore of Gurgaon had alleged he was pressurised to sign an application for surrendering a seat of the MDS course in SGTDC Budhera college in Gurgaon. The petitioner had alleged he had even lodged a complaint.

Justice Permod Kohli had then asked Gupta to file an affidavit. When this was not done, the court directed issuance of a show-cause notice to her as to why proceedings for contempt of court not be initiated against her for non-compliance of the directions.

Chandigarh, September 11
The “special team” constituted for investigating the lynching of Ved Pal Mor has so far arrested 11 accused, while warrants have been issued against five others. This was stated in an affidavit-cum-status report by Jind SP B Satheesh Balan.

The SP, in the affidavit placed before the court of Justice Arvind Kumar, added that the warrant officer, “apprehending danger and seeing the aggressiveness of the situation”, attempted to scale the wall, just to save himself from the mob. He was appointed by the Punjab and Haryana HC on Mor’s petition for the recovery of his “wife” Sonia.

Sonepat, September 11
Constable Ashok of the Sonepat police has been sentenced to life imprisonment by District and Sessions Judge Virender Singh for burning his wife to death. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

Ashok, a resident of Narnaul, was posted at the City police station, Sonepat, and was staying with his wife Geeta in the police residential quarters. On October 10, 2007, his wife Geeta was burnt to death and on a complaint of Geeta’s mother Sona Devi, a case of murder was registered against Ashok.