Yamunanagar, February 6
Over 1,000 wood-based industries, including the plywood industry, of the district have come under scanner for the alleged trafficking of Bangladeshi labourers here to compensate the shortage of labourers triggered by the partial success of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in Bihar and UP.

Illegal Bangladeshi immigrant labourers, who have been employed in plywood factories, have been allegedly staying with fake identities and addresses in various localities of the district.

The district police, after verifying records of various industries, has found 2,000 suspected Bangladeshi labourers working in wood-based industries here. These suspected labourers allegedly belong to Bangladesh and have been living in different areas with fake addresses of West Bengal.

An investigation by The Tribune revealed that over 1,000 wood-based industries of the district required as many as 1.5 lakh labourers for smooth functioning of the industries.

The industry has been facing an acute shortage of migrant labourers from Uttar Pardesh and Bihar for the past few months.

The shortage of labourers was attributed to the partial success of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in UP and Bihar. The Act “guarantees” 100 days of paid work for one person per household which has led to a sharp decline in migrant labourers from UP and Bihar.

Sources said agents from West Bengal had been involved in trafficking of Bangladeshi labourers in the district. “As they come illegally, they show fake identity proof of West Bengal,” they added.

“We were dependent on migrant labourers. However, for the past six months there has been a sharp decline in labourers from UP and Bihar. Therefore, the only option is to get Bangladeshi labourers through West Bengal agents, industrialists said.

“To verify the antecedents of the suspected labourers, we have sent a letter to the five District Magistrates of West Bengal to verify the identity and addresses of labourers, who have been suspected to have provided fake addresses of West Bengal although they hail from Bangladesh. Now, as per the new rule, the District Magistrate has to send the verification reports back within a month,” said SP Vikas Arora. 

Chandigarh, February 6
The Haryana government has framed a policy for the regularisation of unauthorised religious constructions on public places (shamlat deh) in compliance with the instructions of the Supreme Court issued to states and union territories. The competent authority to accord approval to gram panchayats for leasing out their land to regularise such unauthorised religious constructions will be the Deputy Commissioner for an area up to one acre and he or she will be able to give it at a lease rate of Re 1 per kanal per year.

In the case of area above one acre, the state government will be the competent authority and the lease rate will be Rs 100 per kanal per year or the rate recommended by the Deputy Commissioner, whichever is higher. As per this procedure, the gram panchayat will publicise the policy in its sabha area by way of “munadi” within 15 days of the receipt of the policy. The management of such religious places will have to make an application within a period of one month from the date of “munadi” to the gram panchayat concerned for the regularisation of unauthorised construction on shamlat deh or panchayat land.

Thereafter, no such application shall be entertained and the gram panchayat shall initiate proceedings for ejectment in accordance with the provisions of law. The gram panchayat, on consideration of the applications, may pass resolutions to lease out the land over which such unauthorised religious construction has taken place and forward the proposal to the Block Development and Panchayat Officer concerned within a maximum period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of the application.

The proposal of the gram panchayat shall be examined by a committee headed by the Subdivisional Officer (Civil). The other members of the committee will be the Circle Revenue Officer (Tehsildar or Naib Tehsildar), the Chairman, Panchayat Samiti, and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer will be the Member Secretary. The committee will examine the proposal and while submitting the recommendation, provide information on certain points concerning the place of worship to the Deputy Commissioner. 

Kurukshetra, February 6
Lt-Gen DDS Sandhu joined as the new Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University here today.

Dr Sandhu had been holding the additional charge of the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University since September 2009 after the relieving of Dr RP Bajpai.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Dr Sandhu said: “It’s an honour to have been selected as the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University. This university has already achieved so much and has much greater potential for high quality education and research.”

During his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University, Dr Sandhu played a pivotal role in setting up a Radio Ecology Centre in collaboration with the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, starting PG diploma in defense journalism, which is the second such course in the world, and developing international-level sports facility on the campus.

It was during his tenure that the university was reaccredited with Grade “A” by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

He won many prestigious awards after joining as the GJU VC, including “Best Administrator of the Year Award 2009” by the World Management Congress, “International Achievers Award for Education Excellence” by International Achievers Summit Bangkok, “Amity Excellence Award 2009” by Amity International School, “Haryana Rattan Award 2009” by the All-India Conference of Intellectuals, and “Best Education Performance Award 2008” by the Health and Education Development Association, New Delhi. Prior to this period, he has many national and international awards to his credit.

Prior to his appointment as the GJU VC, General Sandhu was the Director-General of Ordnance Services and Senior Colonel Commandant, Army Ordnance Corps.

Dr Sandhu, an alumnus of National Defence Academy, was commissioned in 1967. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Sandhu did his post graduation in defence studies from Madras University and MPhil in defence and management studies from Devi Ahilya Bai University, Indore. 

Kurukshetra, February 6
The importance of legal literacy and awareness about the rights enshrined in the Constitution was highlighted by legal luminaries at the annual prize distribution function of the Legal Literacy Mission here today.

The speakers gave a spiritual touch to the deliberations in the land of the Mahabharata and emphasised that a feeling of brotherhood, respect for the rights of others and solving petty disputes amicably could go a long way in creating a harmonious society.

Justice DK Jain of the Supreme Court, who was the chief guest at the function, said students and teachers could play a key role in creating awareness about legal literacy and this was the reason that the National Legal Literacy Mission selected this vital segment of society for launching the awareness campaign.

Describing the students as a powerful medium for creating legal awareness, Justice Jain said they could educate family members and neighbours about law and petty disputes, which created bad blood among people, could be settled at the panchayat level.

The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Mukul Mudgal, said it was an irony that the Constitution granted fundamental rights to the people but the weaker sections like poor, bonded labourers and women, who should be aware about their rights, were ignorant about these.

The chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Justice Adarsh Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said Kurukshetra was chosen to launch the legal awareness mission since it was the land where Lord Krishna preached the message of knowledge, devotion, action and justice.

He said there were about 60,000 cases pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court pertaining to transfers, promotions, pay revision and pension and if the authorities concerned were a bit more sensitive, these could be avoided.

Justice Suryakant of the Punjab and Haryna High Court, who is also the Administrative Judge of Kurukshetra, lauded the steps taken by the District Legal Services Authority.

Bhondsi (Gurgaon), February 6
In view of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the Haryana government will develop the Bharat Yatra Kendra (ashram) established by former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar here as a tourist spot.

The task will be performed jointly by the state departments of Development and Panchayats and Forest and Environment in collaboration with the Haryana Tourism Development Corporation.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharambir Singh here recently.

The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner (Development and Panchayats) P Raghvendra Rao, Director (Panchayats) Lajvir Singh, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria, office-bearers of the Bhondsi Gram Panchayat and officials from the Forest and Environment Department.

Since the ownership of the land measuring 588 acres under the Bharat Yatra Kendra now vests with the Bhondsi Gram Panchayat, Dharambir Singh asked the officers to involve the panchayat in the works to be taken up on the land.

Initially, the panchayat would provide funds for the development of the area and when the project gets approved, those funds would be returned to the panchayat by the Forest and Environment Department.

Dharambir Singh, who is also the sitting Congress MLA from Sohna in which this kendra lies, maintained that funds allocated under the project would be operated through a joint account of the Gram Panchayat and the Forest and Environment Department to ensure transparency in expenditure.

As per the plan, the visitors would get a glimpse of Haryanvi culture at this kendra, which would be connected to Dumduma Lake. Its connectivity with Gurgaon would also be improved. The existing main building of the kendra would be developed as a guesthouse.

“Repair of existing buildings and structures at the kendra will be taken up in the first phase of the project,” the CPS said, adding that the Village Forest Committee would monitor the development works on the kendra.