Karnal , November 20
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Om Prakash Chautala claimed here today that his party would form government in the state without mid-term polls.

He said the Congress would not be able to complete its term and it was a matter a time before the government would fall on its own. Chautala said they would soon challenge HJC legislators joining the Congress in a court of law and not allow the Congress to be in government in violation of rules.

He said the party would also be pursing the issue of appointment of CPSs.

Ruling out the possibility of the party contesting the upcoming Nagar Parishad elections on the party symbol, the INLD chief said it had been observed that using the party symbol in the civic elections led to groupism which affected the overall prospects of the party.

On SYL, he said the matter was now pending with the Union Government and it should take a decision keeping in view the interests of the farmers in the state.

He said the party was in the process of preparing a list of defectors who had worked against the party candidates in the assembly elections and appropriate action would be taken against them.

Earlier, addressing a party workers’ meeting, Chautala exhorted them to work for strengthening the party at the grassroots level.

Chandigarh, November 20
Post-elections, the INLD has begun introspection and sought a detailed report on workers who indulged in anti-party activities..

Addressing a press conference here, secretary general of the INLD and MLA from Dabwali, Ajay Singh Chautala, said the party would not “hang the guilty” without thoroughly going into the allegations. “The state unit chief, Ashok Arora, has been asked to compile a report on all such workers. However, we will have it cross-checked before we expell those guilty of working against the party interests,” he said.

Flanked by MLA Dilbagh Singh and Narender Sangwan, Ajay lambasted the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government for “buying” MLAs to ensure stability for his government.

“The people’s mandate was against the Congress which lost on 50 seats. Yet they have managed to form government by luring Independents with posts in the cabinet and appointing them as CPSs Everybody knows the truth about the merger of the HJC legislators ,” he said.

Chautala claimed that the merger was the outcome of indecisiveness on the part of HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi, who now stood alone. “We are consulting legal experts on the merger and will pursue the matter in court or with the Speaker ,” he said. He challenged the CM to a public debate on rising prices, corruption and horse-trading.

“Everytime we want to raise these issues, the CM says we are raising these because we have nothing concrete. What can be more important than issues which affect the public,” he asked.

The INLD leader said the government had failed to handle HINI with more than 700 taking ill. The real situation was even worse.

Hisar, November 20
Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s errant son Chander Mohan is back into the family fold. His father has forgiven him and asked him to begin afresh.

Bhajan Lal told mediapersons over the phone from Delhi today:” The Bishnoi samaj had punished him a few months ago. He has since atoned for his misdeeds. I have accepted him back.” Bhajan Lal lost no time in formally disowning Chander Mohan in December last after he married Anuradha Bali, alias Fiza, and converted to Islam. Bhajan Lal had at that time stated that "Chander Mohan's action is a matter of shame for the entire state as well as my family".

He had said that Chander Mohan's actions had shamed the family. The first indications of Chander Mohan’s eventual return to the family fold had come in August after he was admitted to a private nursing home here for treatment of a hip fracture. His mother Jasma Devi remained with him in the hospital throughout his stay.

It was on his mother’s insistence that Chander Mohan was taken to the local Bishnoi Mandir on a stretcher from the nursing home where the sect’s top priests had been called from Mukam Dham in Rajasthan. He was reinducted into the sect and was asked to feed birds and animals to atone for his sins.

Following his reinduction, Chander Mohan had stated that he would always abide by his mother’s directives, behave responsibly and apologise to his first wife and their children. However, political compulsions prevented his father from taking him back into the family all these months. Now that there is no chance of any further political damage to the family, Bhajan Lal has accepted him back. Chander Mohan and his father are in Delhi together these days. Chander Mohan is building a house near his father’s mansion here. He is expected to shift to Hisar within the next few weeks and live with his parents. Later, he will shift to his new house.

Sirsa, November 20
Cracking its whip on private schools functioning against the norms of the government, the Education Department sealed four schools here today.

Criminal cases have also been registered against those running these schools.

Two of these are high schools, while two others are functioning up to middle-standard level.

“We have sealed MRS High School situated in the local Kirti Nagar and Surya High School in Thed Mohalla,” confirmed Asha Kiran Grover, District Education Officer, Sirsa, who said she proceeded against these schools on the directions of Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr J Ganeshan.

She added that action against two other schools have been taken by the District Elementary Education Officer as these were up to middle standard.

The two schools up to middle-standard level that have been sealed are SD Public School and Prince Public School.Dr Ganeshan said FIRs had been registered against these schools under Section 420 of the IPC for cheating.

“MRS High School was recognised by the government, but its owners had closed the school for the past some years.

However, students purportedly enrolled by this school have been found appearing in board examinations,” said the ADC.

He said the school had been found showing fake admission of students enrolled elsewhere in some unrecognised schools.

He added that action against other three schools had been taken as they had been found operating without any recognition or permission from the authorities.

He said there were well laid down rules regarding recognition of schools and a district-level committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner issued recognition to the schools after they fulfill the norms set by the government.

The recognition was reviewed every year after seeing their performance and adherence of the rules, he added.

“The district authorities have now decided to take strict action against “education shops” running in the names of schools. A survey is being conducted by the authorities to check each school of the district, which will be completed by November 25,” Dr Ganeshan said.

He added that a case file of each school would be prepared after the completion of the survey and while schools found wanting in the prescribed norms would be derecognised and closed, the unrecognised schools would be immediately shut down after registering FIRs of cheating against their managers.

Yamunanagar, November 20
In a significant decision, the state government has clarified that in case a candidate has not done matriculation with Hindi as one of the subjects, but has passed 10+2 or BA or MA with Hindi then he or she meets the essential qualification required for appointment to any job.

The Under Secretary, General Administration, SK Jain has intimated all the Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries, and Commissioners of Ambala, Rohtak, and Hisar to make necessary amendment in the service rules of the departments with immediate effect.The clarification from the state government comes in response to its earlier decision.

Earlier the state government in its circular dated May 5, 2007, had decided that for recruitment to a job, studying Hindi up to the matric level was compulsory.

Giving details about the government’s clarification, the Under Secretary said the state government had issued a clarification on the decision after further consideration of the matter. The information had been also sent to all Deputy Commissioners and SPs and the managing directors in the state. A copy of the letter is also available with The Tribune.

Rohtak, November 20
The district administration claims to be all prepared for the 23rd Haryana State Games that begin tomorrow. A total of 6,300 players and officials are expected to take part in this mega event to be organised under the banner of the Haryana Olympics Association.

The games will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at 4 pm.

While the players will be lodged mainly in school, college and MDU hostels, requisitioned by the district administration, the officials will be lodged in various government rest houses and tourism complexes. The technical staff will be housed in dharamshalas.

The DC has appointed HCS-level officers to monitor and supervise arrangements for this four-day event. “The players will be lodged at 11 places, including Harkishan Memorial Public School, MDN School, Sunshine Public School, DAV Public School, MDU Girls’ Hostel, Delhi Public School, Government College for Women, Pathania Public School, Ladaut Gurukul, Model Cultural Centre, Sector 4, and Revenue Colony, Sector 14,” said an official.

The administration has requisitioned a large number of mobile toilets, generators and water tankers for the convenience of the players and guests near their lodging. “All arrangements are in place and the administration will not flinch from providing any facility required for the players and the officials taking part in these games,” said Deputy Commissioner PC Meena here today.

Chandigarh, November 20
Beneficiaries of the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshni Vivah Shagun Yojna converged at the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today and thanked him for hiking the grant money under the scheme.

The delegation was led by Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Geeta Bhukkal.

The delegates garlanded the Chief Minister and also presented him with bouquets. They also raised slogans in favour of the Chief Minister.

Thanking them, Hooda urged them to further popularise the scheme so that all eligible beneficiaries avail its benefit. The Chief Minister had yesterday on the occasion of the birthday of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi announced to increase the amount of incentive under the scheme.

Bhukkal said the shagun grant admissible to families belonging to the Scheduled Castes living below the poverty line for marriage of their daughters and to widows belonging to all sections of society for their own remarriage as well as for marriage of their daughters had been increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 31,000.

She said the amount of shagun being given to poor families living below the poverty line had also been increased from Rs 5,100 to Rs 11,000.

This incentive could be availed for two daughters in a family.

Kurukshetra, November 20
Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, bagged the overall championship running trophy 2009 in the five-day 25th north zone inter-university youth festival - KUNZ Fest -which concluded here today.

Kurukshetra University received the runners-up trophy. Both the teams received the trophies from Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Addressing the participants, Hooda called upon the youth to inculcate the rich cultural heritage of the country. Hooda said the religious and holy land of Kurukshetra would be brought on the international map and it would be developed in a comprehensive way.

Encouraging those students who could not win the prize in the fest, he said next year they would come with more vigor and zeal to win the competition.

Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the state was being developed as an education hub and special thrust was being laid to promote qualitative education.

She said Rajiv Gandhi Education city was being developed to impart higher qualitative education to students.

Kurukshetra University Vice Chancellor Dr DDS Sandhu revealed that two museums one belonging to 1857 war heroes and a rural museum would be set up on university campus.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Bhawan Boys Hostel constructed at a cost of over Rs 4 crore.

About 1,200 artists drawn from 28 universities belonging to nine states participated and exhibited their talent in the fest.

Sonepat, November 20
The number of swine flu cases in the district has gone up to 16 as results of 26 samples from Delhi labs are awaited. Civil Surgeon Dr JS Punia said out of the 100 samples sent to Delhi, 26 had tested positive.

Timely detection and proper treatment of positive cases had helped patients recover, he added. The he alth authorities and school managements in the district have launched special awareness programmes amongst children and their wards to take precautionary steps against swine flu. Rallies are being taken out by schoolchildren in many parts of the district.

at a meeting with 27 school principals, Dr Punia asked them to ensure that children with fever or flu were sent home.