Chandigarh, November 5
The proposed cabinet expansion in Haryana seems to have hit a roadblock with the government postponing the ceremony at the eleventh hour here tonight. The high command is learnt to have sought a “fresh perspective” on the names that will constitute the cabinet team and the ceremony could now be held on November 7.

Also, while the Congress is bargaining hard through mediators to rope in the HJC, sources said a “re-look” sought by the party high command could also have to do with the fact that Kiran Choudhry as also a few MPs met the party top brass to express their displeasure over “ignoring of senior leaders in the House”.

That cabinet formation in Haryana was not going to be a cakewalk was evident when the Congress first staked its claim to form the government. Sources said even as hectic lobbying was on for cabinet berths within the party as also to “accommodate” Independents and keep some berths vacant for the HJC, Choudhry had turned down the offer for a ministerial berth in the cabinet and had conveyed her decision to the party high command a couple of days back. She was initially considered among the few “certain names” that would make it to the cabinet in the first round itself. Sources said Choudhry, who was offered the berth of minister of state (MoS) in the new cabinet to be formed under CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had declined the position on grounds that she should be given a full ministership in the second term, failing which she would rather keep out of the cabinet. It is learnt that she met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and conveyed her sentiments to her. Her contention was that she had already been a two-time MLA in Delhi before she moved to Haryana where she was now a second-timer and deserved a senior rank.

It is learnt that a few party MPs from the state met the top brass in the Congress and backed Choudhry’s claim for a cabinet rank in this new term. Sources in CM camp, meanwhile, have their own reasons for their inability to “accommodate” Choudhry as cabinet minister, stating that the priority of the party is to run a “stable government”.

Choudhry, it is learnt, was urged to reconsider her decision and initially accept the position of MoS and could subsequently be elevated to cabinet rank. Sources said given the fact that the party was still trying to “manage” HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi and his five MLAs to get them around to the party’s point of view of a merger, it was not possible to “accommodate” Choudhry right away.

Stating that some berths needed to be kept vacant for the HJC while some would go to the Independents, the state leadership also had the additional responsibility of balancing caste equations.

Karnal, November 5
At least 30,000 schoolchildren and citizens joined hands to make a 30-km-long human change to support the demand for a Kalpana Chawla medical college inthe city. Kalpana Chawla Medical College Nirman Committee backed by various organisations has been struggling for a year now to get the demand met. Volunteers and activists of various organisations, supported by students from 34 schools, swarmed the roads and formed a chain along the roads in Karnal to demonstrate that they continued to rever Kalpana Chawla as an outstanding astronaut.

Pritpal Singh Pannu, convener of the committee, said the show of strength for the noble cause indicated the resentment among residents against successive governments for failing to set up a college in memory of Kalpana Chawla.

Three MLAs from Karnal, Pandit Jile Ram Sharma from Assandh, Narender Sangwan from Gharaunda and Mamu Ram Gonder from Nilokheri, Youth Congress general secretary Varinder Rathore and Congress working committee president Suresh Matlouda joined the chain at Committee Chowk.

They promised to raise the issue in the assembly.Virender Rathore said he would take up the matter with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Employees of different government departments in Karnal expressed their solidarity by wearing black badges. On a call by district president of the Sarv Karmchari Sangh, Haryana, Om Parkash Singmar and district president of Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh Satpal Sharma, the employees held gate meetings at their offices while advocates suspended work on the call of the District Bar. Pannu said a signature campaign had been launched in support of the demand and 3 lakh signatures collected as of now.

A memorandum with signatures of more than five lakh residents of Karnal would be handed over to the PM within this month.

He said the Karnal MP, Dr Arvind Sharma, would also be reminded of his promise to take up the cause. Pannu said in spite of the fact that residents of Karnal were forced to take their seriously ill either to the PGI in Chandigarh or the AIMMS in New Delhi, the government had exhibited an apathetic attitude towards their demand.

Nilokheri, November 5
Shaken by the brutal murder 20-year-old engineering student Amit at Government Polytechnic, Nilokheri, in broad daylight yesterday, the teachers today blamed the principal of the polytechnic for his indifferent attitude towards increasing indiscipline in the campus and frequent entry of outside elements.

A delegation of the teachers met DC J S Ahlawat and demanded the arrest of the culprits. It also apprised him of the deteriorating law and order and indiscipline in the campus, making the inmates feel unsafe.

Parminder Mann, a teacher, said he had complained to the principal regarding the unsafe atmosphere in the institution when outsiders disturbed classroom teaching on October 27. But instead of taking effective measures to set things right, the principal sought his explanation as to why he had walked away from the class.

Eve-teasing had become common and girl students in the evening shift, which ended at 5.45 pm, found it difficult to go out with rowdy elements passing offensive remarks. The teachers said there had been a spurt in the activities of anti-social elements and outsiders since last month and even the staff felt unsafe.

The teachers said even today a mob of more than 50 had entered the campus and compelled the students to refrain from studies as a protest against yesterday’s murder.

Another reason for the indiscipline was that there was no regular principal in the polytechnic with a strength of 4,500 students. The strength of the guest faculty was three times the regular faculty.

Sirsa, November 5
Bharatiya Kisan Union president Ghasi Ram Nain today said the government should have increased the cane prices in accordance with the hike in input costs. Nain said the biggest problem before the cane farmers was the inordinate delay in the release of payments by coop sugar mills.

“Farmers are not treated well by these mills. They have to sit with their crops for days before their produce is weighed by the mill staff,” Nain alleged and demanded that the mill managements should arrange for transportation of cane to the mills.

The BKU leader alleged that coop mills had been delaying payment to farmers for long.

“In many cases farmers fail to get payment against the sugarcane supplied even after a year,” he alleged. He demanded that the payment either be made in advance or immediately after the stock accepted by the mills. Nain, who spearheaded a prolonged farmers’ agitation during the INLD regime, said Om Parkash Chautala’s party had been able to get 32 seats in the assembly because of Congress infighting.

“Congress leaders should learn a lesson from the results and stop sabotaging one another’s political careers,” Nain said.

Chandigarh, November 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has shifted the trial of the Ruchika molestation case from Ambala to Chandigarh. Haryana’s former DGP, SPS Rathore is prime accused in the case.

The orders were passed by Justice SD Anand. The case was shifted to Chandigarh with the consent of both parties.