Jind, November 25
The district administration has allotted residential plots to as many as 7,284 beneficiaries under the ‘Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojna’ launched by the state government last year.

The process of formally handing over each plot measuring 100 sq. yard to families living below the poverty line (BPL) is on and registration papers would be soon handed over to them.

Stating this here today, the Deputy Commissioner said work for allotting the plots in 36 villages had been completed.

The authorities had received as many as 85,817 applications from residents in the rural areas in a total of 307 villages in the district.

‘Of these, 17,205 applicants were found eligible under the rules decided by the government for allotment of free residential plots to the poor,” he said.

The registration process was over in 36 villages, including three in Jind block, eight in Alewa, 15 in Julana, five in Safidon, two in Pillukhera and two in Uchana block. While there was no problem in 229 villages where the panchayati land had been available for the project, in 78 villages no such land is available at present.

The authorities would, however, have to procure land in these villages on their own.

According to district officials, the survey for identifying the beneficiaries for the Old Age Pension Scheme was also on and would continue till December 11 next year.

The process of preparing senior citizen cards was also on and 68,000 persons had already been covered in the district

Meanwhile, the DC ordered action against some quacks operating in the rural areas of the district.

Speaking at a meeting today, he asked the department concerned to carry out a campaign and take legal action against all those who were functioning as private medical practitioners without a proper licence. 

Siwani (Bhiwani), November 25
Each drop of water should be cherished as national property so that every citizen could get clean drinking water besides adequate proportion for irrigation.

The Haryana government has been working for equal distribution of available water just on these lines. It is formulating a scheme to prepare such a map of digging ponds under which half of its water be used for supply of drinking water and rest for cattle.

This was stated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at a public meeting in Khera village. Earlier, Hooda launched a water conservation drive in the village.

He said water was life and life could not be imagined without it.

The Chief Minister said the state government would construct Kesau and Renuka dams over Yamuna canal to conserve water during rains. The government would increase the water collection capacity in Otu lake by restoring it. It would help in providing ample irrigation water to 80-90 villages located around the lake.

Commenting upon the Hansi-Butana link canal, he assured people of delivering their rightful share of water from it. Hooda laid the foundation stone of an ITI institute to be constructed in 10 acres at a cost of Rs 4 crore. As many as 528 students would be imparted education in 15 different trades every year. He also announced to reserve 10 per cent seats for the youth of Khera village in the institute.

He also announced to give Rs 40 lakh to strengthen streets, upgrade existing school after completion of norms and setting up primary wing. He also began the process of widening Siwani-Singhani state highway to seven metre at a cost of Rs 31 crore.

Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP Shruti Choudhry, CPS Ram Kishan Fauji, MLAs Satpal Sangwan and Bharat Bhushan Batra, SP Shibash Kabiraj, ex-MLAs Ram Bhajan and Sombir Singh were also present on the occasion.

Panipat, November 25
The project for setting up an agro-mall in place of the market committee office located at the Gohana Chowk has hit a roadblock and work remains suspended since the last few months.

The project was scheduled for completion in September this year, but only the foundation has been constructed so far. This has even led to cancellation of the contract to the company, which has caused further delay.

The Haryana Agriculture Board had decided to come up with a five-storey agro-mall at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore. The mall could have increased the revenues of the market committee and provided better facilities to farmers.

The Board had floated tenders and work was awarded to a Delhi-based firm in September 2008. It was expected that the mall would be ready by September 2009. However, the construction company failed to complete the project within the stipulated time, following which the Board cancelled the contract and the work was suspended. The board had even made a payment of Rs 32 lakh to the construction company.

Meanwhile, the board officials maintained that the process of issuing fresh tenders has been initiated and these would be floated within a couple of months.

As per the approved design, the five-storeyed building, including the basement, was to be spread on 4,015 square yards. Although all the floors were supposed to have shops and showrooms, the fourth floor had been left open as a hall while the basement was being constructed for parking.

According to Satbir Kadian, a local farmer, the agro-mall could have proved to be of immense benefit to the cultivators, who could have found everything under one roof.

The Board officials refused to comment upon the reasons behind the delay in completion of the project. 

Sirsa, November 25
An inquiry by SDM SK Setia has indicted the hospital authorities as well as some doctors working in the General Hospital here for negligence in providing timely treatment to Renu, an eight-year-old accident victim.

Devi Lal, a warden in the District Jail here, had rushed his daughter Renu to the hospital on Monday afternoon after she was trapped under the rear tyre of her school bus, while getting off the bus.

When her fractured leg and other injuries were not attended to for over two-and-a-half-hours though the child was crying in pain, Devi Lal brought the matter to the notice of DC Yudhvir Singh Khyalia, who asked Setia to inquire the matter.

Setia visited the hospital the same evening to record statements of all concerned and found Dr Amandeep Mittal, on duty in the casualty at the time of Renu’s arrival, guilty of delay in treatment. Devi Lal alleged in his complaint to the DC that Dr Mittal did not examine his daughter for over half an hour though there was no other patient and then asked him to get her X-ray done.

However, when the X-ray technician asked Devi Lal to bring a medico legal report of the girl, Dr Mittal was nowhere to be found, though he was still on duty.

Dr Mittal told the SDM that he was away to attend a meeting on swine flu.

SDM Setia said in his report that the hospital management by medical superintendent Dr SL Agarwal was very poor.

“No orthopaedic or general surgeon, most needed in trauma cases, were there in the hospital. Dr Gaurav Bishnoi was found abstaining from duty without informing his superiors, while Dr Pawan and Dr Manish Singla were reportedly in the operation theatre,” the report said.

The report said it was surprising that Dr Agarwal allowed the casualty department to remain without a doctor for over an hour.

“A meeting on swine flu could have been conducted after 3pm when the OPDs are closed,” said the SDM in his report.

Besides, the doctor on duty in the casualty department, orthopedic surgeons, the medical superintendent and a deputy civil surgeon, officiating during the leave period of the civil surgeon, were found absent in their rooms when Devi Lal went to them for help. 

Chandigarh, November 25
The Ellenabad assembly byelection, which will be a prestige issue for the ruling Congress and the main Opposition party, the INLD, will not be held before March next.

The process to revise electoral rolls will start from January 1, which is an annual exercise. All those aged 18 on that date are to be enrolled as voters. After a summary revision of the electoral rolls, draft rolls are published and claims and counter-claims invited. After the election authorities dispose off these claims and counter-claims, electoral rolls are published.

This process takes about 45 days. The Election Commission will announce the byelection only after that. The seat, which fell vacant following the resignation of INLD president Om Prakash Chautala, who retained his Uchana Kalan seat, has to be filled before the first week of May next. Meanwhile, the INLD has started campaigning in the Ellenabad constituency. Though it has not named its candidate so far, indications are that Abhay Singh, younger son of Chautala, may be the party candidate.

During a tour of the constituency to thank voters for their support, the former Chief Minister also sought votes for his party candidate as and when the byelection was held.

The Congress is yet to start campaigning in the constituency, which is a stronghold of the INLD. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other senior party leaders will address a public meeting in Ellenabad on November 29, which will mark the opening of the Congress campaign.

However, the Congress in Sirsa district, of which Ellenabad is part, is badly divided.

It is highly unlikely that the party will close ranks even after a visit by the Chief Minister. Moreover, since the party is unlikely to announce its candidate so early, the Congress campaign is not likely to pick up after November 29. The public meeting on that day may remain an  isolated event. 

Sirsa, November 25
Help Group Welfare Society, an NGO, distributed blankets among 250 poor women in Ellenabad town on the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Hooda, father of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Jai Singh Bishnoi, member of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, was thechief guest on the occasion.Rajbir Singh Punia, president of the society, Shilpa Verma, president of the District Women Congress, and several prominent citizens were present.

A vow to fight female foeticide was administered to the women. — TNS

Sonepat, November 25
With the number of cases testing positive for swine flu crossing 70, District Magistrate Ajit Joshi has ordered

the closure of three schools- Swaranprasth Public School, Janki Dass Kapoor Public School and Holy Child Public School in the town for a week.

The DC held a meeting with doctors of the town here today to assess the situation.

The doctors were of the opinion that they should first carry out tests for malaria and dengue before that for swine flu.

Out of the infected patients, 70 per cent were school- going children. Five daily commuters to Delhi had also

tested positive. More than 55,000 people travel to Delhi daily from this district. Haryana Health Minister Geeta Bhukkal during her visit to the yesterday held an emergency meeting with medical officers here and directed them take precautionary measures without any loss of time.

A separate ward of six rooms on the first floor of the local civil hospital has been carved out for all swine flu patients.

Yamunanagar: Two seven-year-old girls of Sant Nischal Singh Public School tested positive for HINI while seven cases were detected by the civil hospital, here on Tuesday.

The school was closed for five five days as a preventive measure. Samples of as many as 57 persons suspected to be suffering from swine flu have been sent to New Delhi. Rewari: An eight-year-old girl student of a Public School in Behror in Alwar district in Rajasthan and a resident of Rampura village adjoining Rewari has tested positive for swine flu. Civil surgeon Dr HR Yadav said samples of four members of her familyhad been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi.

The girl was given treatment in isolation at home.Simultaneously preventive treatment had been provided to other members of the family. — TNS

Yamunanagar, November 25
In view of the problems being faced by farmers, it is imperative that the states reviewe their policy of SEZs (Special Economic Zones).

Without an effective rehabilitation and settlement programme for the displaced persons, the SEZ policy should not be followed, said Prof Sucha Singh of the Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala.

Even if some areas are to be developed for industrialisation, this can be done on the pattern of industrial estates. He was addressing a two-day seminar on “Efficacy of special economic zones in India” sponsored by the UGC held at Guru Nanakhalsa College here today.

The seminar was inaugurated by chairman of the Guru Nanak Khalsa Group of Education Institutions, Bhupinder Singh Jauhar, here this afternoon.

Prof Sucha Singh said certain facilities could be provided and export-promotion measures adopted for the industry without turning these zones into foreign or alien territories where normal law of the land did not apply.“There is a need to replace the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, with a new one which takes makes farmers partners in development. The present model alienates them and deprives them and other rural people of their livelihood source without providing them any alternative. Therefore, they oppose land acquisition” he said.

He said a model that ensured their rehabilitation could be either cooperative or public sector-based industry. The government was not expected to act in a partisan manner in favour of a company but in favour of all those displaced.

Jauhar said India was the first country in Asia to recognise SEZs as new engines for export-led economic growth. 

Kaithal, November 25
Two armed robbers looted Rs 9 lakh at gunpoint from a businessman in Cheeka town, 26 km from here today. This is the third such incident in the district in the past one month. On receiving information, SSP Sandeep Khirwar rushed to Cheeka and an alert was sounded. However, the culprits gave the slip to the cops. A case against unidentified youths was registered.

Dev Raj Jindal, a partner in Sant Ram Rice Mill, Cheeka, was returning from the PNB branch in Guhla on a two-wheeler. His accountant Brij Mohan, was on the pillionwith the bag containing cash.

Deviating from the main road, Des Raj took a shorter route through HUDA Colony to reach Cheeka Mandi. Two youths on a motorcycle overtook them and at an isolated place snatched the bag at gunpoint.