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Mandi assn to go on strike from today
Skeleton of missing
boy found |
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Re-fixation of
Pay
Bahadurgarh MC poll on Nov 13
Spurious liquor seized
Two undertrials attempt suicide
3 teenagers killed in road mishap
Poll Jitters
INLD in touch with
BSP, Independents
Ind seeks repoll, says missing surname confused voters
Postal ballots to be counted first
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Mandi assn to go on strike from today
Sonepat, October 20 According to president of the Sonepat Beopar Mandal Sanjay Verma, the decision to go on strike was taken in a meeting of the representatives of the mandal and the association this evening. He said the storage of wheat bags in the new grain market had left a little space in the mandi for unloading of paddy as the daily arrival of paddy and other kharif crops had increased up to 13,000 bags these days. On the other hand, the total capacity of the old grain market was sufficient for 3,000 bags only and the situation had created problems not only for the traders and the buyers but also for the farmers. Verma pointed out that a number of farmers had started taking their produce to Narela Anaj Mandi in Delhi and it had led to income loss to the traders as well as revenue loss to the government agencies. “The HAFED and the Food and Civil Supplies Department had stored around 6 lakh bags of wheat and despite repeated pleas, the authorities concerned had not taken any step to lift the stock,” he alleged.
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Skeleton of missing
boy found Karnal, October 20 The skeleton was found from the fields of a farmer while he was harvesting his crop. He called the police which cordoned off the area so that the forensic evidence was not tampered with. ASP Ved Prakash Godara said that the clothes recovered (school uniform) from the spot were identified as those of the dead child. The remains included the skull, the collar bone, the rib cage and knee bones. These would be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for DNA tests. Villagers of Kohand had boycotted the poll on October 13 in protest against the failure of the police to trace the missing boy.
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Re-fixation of
Pay Chandigarh, October 20 Allowing a bunch of nine petitions, Justice Ranjit Singh also upheld the order fixing their pay in the scale of Rs 13,000-17,250. Justice Ranjit Singh observed: Number of petitioners in different petitions have approached the court with common grievance regarding wrong re-fixation of their pay in the scale of Rs 12,000-16,500 with effect from January 1, 1996, in the revised pay scale. “As per the petitioners, they are entitled to the pay scale of Rs 13,500-17,250. All petitioners have retired from service. After re-fixation of their pay, recovery of the excess amount has also been ordered”. Culling out the facts from petition by Dr K.L. Kumar, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The case set up by the petitioners is that the selection grade, which was granted to them in the scale of Rs 4,100-5,300 would correspond to the revised pay scale of Rs 13,500-375-17,250”. Justice Ranjit Singh added: “It appears the trouble arose for the petitioners when financial commissioner and secretary to the Haryana government finance department, issued a clarification on the basis of which placement pay scale of Rs 13,500-17,250 was granted to the petitioners. “On this basis, their pension papers were also prepared and gratuity and other benefits like leave encashment due were released. It is only after six to seven years of having continuously drawn their pension and other benefits that a notice was issued to the petitioner that the scale of Rs 13,500-17,250 with effect from January 1, 1996, was erroneously fixed. “As per the notice, the pay was required to be fixed in the scale of Rs 12,000-16,500, which is the actual correspondent scale of Rs 4,100-5,300 selection grade”. Justice Ranjit Singh further added: Despite the position having been settled by the decision of this court, the respondents passed an order re-fixing the pay of the petitioners in the scale of Rs 12,000-16,500 with effect from January 1, 1996. A recovery of nearly Rs 1.5 lakh excess payment was also ordered. Before parting with the orders, Justice Ranjit Singh held: Once functional pay scale corresponding to selection grade pay scale drawn by the petitioners is provided in the revised pay scale, it would be fair to fix the pay scale of the petitioners in the said scale, which was done but is sought to be undone.
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Bahadurgarh MC poll on Nov 13
Chandigarh, October 20 Stating this here yesterday, Chander Singh, State Election Commissioner, said the model code of conduct had come into force in the areas where the elections would be held and as such no officer or official connected with the election work would be transferred till the completion of the election process. He said the nomination papers could be filed between October 26 and 30 and the papers would be scrutinised on October 31. The candidature could be withdrawn by November 3 and the symbols would be allotted to the candidates after 3 pm on the same day. The poll, if necessary, would be held between 8 am and 4 pm on November 13. The votes would be counted immediately after the polling was closed at the polling station itself on the same day and the result would be declared immediately. As many as 96,097 voters would exercise their franchise in the general elections to the Municipal Council, Bahadurgarh, said Chander Singh, adding that the commission had decided to use electronic voting machines in the general elections to the Municipal Council, Bahadurgarh, and Municipal Council, Kaithal.
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Spurious liquor seized
Yamunanagar, October 20 The illegal liquor factory was functioning form inside a plywood factory in Daulatpur village, the police said. The factory was owned by a resident of Kishanpura Khurd of Punjab, Harvinder Singh. The police also seized machineries, chemicals, labels of various popular liquor brands, besides hundreds of bottles of liquor. The factory was raided by a team of police officials headed by DSP Kishan Kumar following a tip-off. While Asraf was arrested from the factory in this connection, others managed to escape from the back door of the factory. The illegal factory had started functioning just two weeks ago. Those involved in the trade had been using duplicate labels of various popular brands on bottles of spurious liquor. |
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Two undertrials attempt suicide
Sonepat, October 20 They have been identified as Ajit Singh of Farmana village and Israel of Nagla village in Ghaziabad district of UP. A case has been registered against them in the local city police station on a complaint of jail superintendent JK Chhillar. Ajit attempted suicide by hanging himself whereas Israel tried hurting himself in the neck with a sharp-edged weapon. However, the jail administration succeeded in foiling their attempt. Injured Israel was treated in the jail itself and both are reported to be out of danger. Repeated incidents of suicide attempt have forced the jail administration to shift eight inmates to other jails in Ambala, Karnal and Hisar. Another jail inmate - Sandeep of Gumar village - had also attempted suicide on Sunday alleging misbehaviour by the jail authorities. He has been admitted to a hospital.
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3 teenagers killed in road mishap
Rewari, October 20 The deceased, all students, have been identified as Deepak Yadav, Ishwar Singh Yadav and Sunil Yadav, all residents of Shahrpur village. |
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Blast leaves madrasa inmates terrified
Jind, October 20 Though police officials say explosion in a septic tank in the building of the madrasa could have been the cause, the theory appears full of holes. The maulvi of the masjid, Deen Mohammed, says that an explosion in the septic tank of the building is not possible as the tank has not been in use since about three years when it was filled with earth and a room constructed on it. “The residents of the building have been using another septic tank and there has been no problem with it,” the maulvi told mediapersons who visited the site. Suspecting involvement of anti-social elements, he said the impact of the blast was so severe that it ripped apart the floor of the room and broke the wooden panels and doors. A cycle kept in the gallery was thrown 70 feet away. “The blast could have caused harm to 40-odd inmates of the madarsa who escaped as they had assembled for prayers at an open space 50 metres away,” the maulvi said. They were preparing to retire for the night in one of the rooms of the madrasa when the blast occured, he added. The inmates, aged between six and 14, who are either orphans or belong to poor families, have been in a trauma since the blast.
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Poll Jitters
Sirsa, October 20 Phool Chand Mulana, president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, who is the party candidate from Mulana (reserve) in Ambala, returned from a pilgrimage in Salasar (Rajasthan) this afternoon after seeking the blessings of Lord Hanuman during the Tuesday prayers. “I often visit Salasar. Today, I sought blessings for mine as well as the Congress victory,” he said, claiming his party would get a majority. Sampat Singh, who snapped ties with the INLD after the parliamentary elections, hoping to start a new innings with a victory from Nalwa, was also in Salasar. “I offered prayers at Salasar and Janjala in Nagaur (Rajasthan) this morning. I visit these shrines regularly and there is nothing new in my visit today,” said Sampat Singh confessing that he had prayed for his victory. Charanjit Singh, SAD candidate from Kalanwali (reserve) in Sirsa, said he had visited Desu Shahidan Gurdwara in Phaggu village near his village Rori and would organise Akhand Path at the gurdwara if he emerged winner. KV Singh, a former aide of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is pitted against INLD heavyweight Ajay Singh Chautala from Dabwali, went to Salasar from Delhi the day he got the Congress ticket. “He will offer sava-mani (50 km prashad) in Salasar, if he wins the Dabwali seat,” said Mohan Khatri, KV Singh’s media adviser. Swatantar Bala Chaudhary, INLD candidate from Fatehabad, said she had visited temples and gurdwaras in villages during her campaign. “ I have vowed to organise Akhand Path and serve langar at Jhar Sahib Gurdwara and pay obeisance at Shani Mandir and Mankameshwar Mandir,” Chaudhary said, adding that she had also promised a physically challenged youth from Dhabi Khurd a tricycle from her first salary as legislator. Pahlad Singh Gillankhera, an Independent from Fatehabad, visited Salasar Temple before the announcement of the party ticket.visit the Lord Hanuman temple at Salasar covering a distance of 275 km on foot if I win,” said Gillankhera.
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INLD in touch with
BSP, Independents
Chandigarh, October 20 Well-informed sources say the INLD leadership has established contacts with the BSP, which it expects will win at least five seats. The INLD is also in touch with certain Independent candidates who are likely to win in their constituencies. What is the carrot dangled before these candidates by the INLD is anybody’s guess. Of course the party can offer ministerial berths to supporting MLAs because if need be, its own legislators will not react adversely in case they are denied a place in the Cabinet. In 1999, when INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala became Chief Minister with the support of former HVP legislators who had deserted Bansi Lal to topple his government, not many INLD MLAs had found a berth in the Cabinet. Because of the statutory restriction on the size of the Cabinet, Chautala had to adjust most of the defecting HVP legislators. The response of the BSP and the Independent candidates is not known. They seem to have adopted a wait and watch approach. The INLD leadership has met senior BJP leaders LK Advani and Rajnath Singh. What transpired at the meeting is not known. However, a BJP source, pleading anonymity, said in order to keep the Congress out of power, his party would do whatever was necessary. However, Vijay Goel, BJP general secretary in charge of Haryana, told The Tribune on the phone that he was not aware of any such happening. He said no INLD leader had contacted him. But would the BJP support the INLD in forming the government in Haryana? Goel said he could not say anything at this stage. During campaigning, Goel had convened a press conference here to announce that the BJP would have no truck with the INLD of any kind, pre or post poll. It is also not known if the INLD leadership has approached the Haryana Janhit Congress of Kuldeep Bishnoi. Bishnoi’s mobile was switched off.
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Ind seeks repoll, says missing surname confused voters
Karnal, October 20 Sharma was piqued over omission of his surname in the ballot paper at number 7 and said the Karnal assembly constituency had a large number of Brahmin votes and a large number of his voters and supporters were confused as his surname “Sharma” was omitted in the ballot paper. He said full names of BJP candidate Chander Prakash Kathuria and BSP candidate Balvinder Singh Kalra were printed in the ballot paper but in his case only the first and the second names were given in spite of the fact that he had mentioned “Sharma” in all relevant documents. Sharma said he brought this to the notice of the Returning Officer on October 14, a day after the polling, but no reply was sent to him. He then wrote to Chief electoral Officer, Haryana, Sajjan Singh and also talked to him on phone, but there was no response.He said the counting would take place on October 22 and in case it was not deferred, the entire exercise would be rendered futile and he would be left with no option than to file an election petition which was a time-consuming process. Sharma alleged that he was being pressurised to withdraw his complaint and there was a threat to his life. “I have request the administration to provide adequate security for me,” he said,.
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Postal ballots to be counted first
Chandigarh, October 20 Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Sajjan Singh said cellular phones, cordless phones and wireless sets would not be allowed within and around the counting centres or within the area cordoned off by the security forces to regulate the entry of persons to the However, these instructions would not apply to the officers on election duty and security personnel. No unauthorised person would be allowed in the counting halls. Ministers, MPs and MLAs or other persons having a security cover would not be allowed as counting agents.Sajjan Singh said a three-tier cordoning system would be set up to prevent unauthorised entry inside the counting centres. No counting agent without proper identity and having photograph duly displayed on his person shall be allowed to cross the first cordon. The identity of candidates or agents and counting officials would be thoroughly verified at the first cordon itself. Magistrates would be posted at the entrance to control the crowd and regulate entry. Police personnel would conduct proper frisking at the second cordon. There would be barricades for each counting table at each of the counting halls. Sajjan Singh said each counting agent would have a badge bearing the name of the candidate and the table number. Ten per cent of the staff would be kept as reserved. Videography of the randomisation process would be done.Referring to the counting process, the CEO said this process would commence first with postal ballots ensuring that counting of postal ballots was completed before the counting of votes of EVMs. The returning officer concerned would prepare a round-wise statement in a format. The next round would start only after finishing the previous round in all tables. He said table-wise and round-wise results would be displayed on the notice board inside the counting centres and these would also be announced through the public address system. Sajjan Singh said there would be re-counting of two electronic voting machines selected randomly by the observer from every round separately and additionally. He said after completing the final result sheet and receiving the approval of the observer, the results would be declared.
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