Chandigarh, February 17
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah to provide rebate under Section 80 of the Income Tax Act to individuals investing in the renewable energy sector, restore increased financial assistance on solar pumps for the agricultural sector and exempt renewable energy devices from VAT.

Hooda has, in separate letters to Manmohan Singh and Farooq, contended that rebate under the Income Tax Act would motivate individuals to invest in renewable energy technologies.

He stressed the need for restoring increased financial assistance on solar water pumps. Elaborating the point, he stated that Haryana was predominantly an agricultural state. There was need to promote solar energy-based pumpsets to meet the irrigational requirements, for which the farmers are currently dependent on electricity and diesel.

A 1,800-watt capacity pump costs Rs 3.5 lakh and the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy used to provide subsidy of Rs 2.43 lakh per pump set up to 2002-03. It was later reduced to Rs 50,000. In Haryana, 393 such pumps had been installed, which were working successfully and there was a great demand for such pump sets.

“In order to promote them and make them affordable, I would request that the Central subsidy on the 1,800-watt solar pump may be increased from Rs 50,000 to at least Rs 2 lakh.

“This will not only help save precious fossils fuels but also reduce carbon emissions considerably,” Hooda argued. Hooda also suggested that the renewable energy devices that are now attracted 4 per cent VAT, should be exempted from VAT. He pointed out that currently no central financial assistance was available for promoting solar lanterns, LED-based home lighting systems and box-type solarcookers.

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy should provide financial assistance to the tune of 50 per cent of the device cost to help the state government take up a sizeable programme for promoting the use of these systems.

Haryana had already introduced an innovative scheme for providing solar lanterns, “Shikshadeep”, free of cost to rural girl students who top in Class V, VIII, X and XII in school with a total annual budget of Rs 3 crore.

Chandigarh, February 17
The Haryana Government has decided to allow Child Care Leave (CCL) to its women employees for a maximum of two years (730 days) for taking care of her two eldest surviving children below the age of 18.

The women employees may avail of this leave, whether to nurture a sick child or during crucial exams, in more than one go.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that the leave would not be debited against the leave account but would be admissible in case the woman employee had no earned leave. The leave account, maintained in a separate performa, would be kept in the service book of the employee.

The Chief Minister said the leave salary, as admissible while on earned leave, would also be admissible up to 730 days. The nature of this leave would be like earned leave. Therefore, Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays falling during the period of leave would also be counted, as in case of earned leave.

The CCL may be allowed to women employees for the third year as ‘leave not due’ (without production of medical certificate) or be combined with leave of the kind due and admissible, provided no earned leave is in her credit at that time. Leave salary during the third year would be the same as admissible while on ‘leave not due” or leave of the kind due, as the case may be.

No CCL would be admissible for the third child. The CCL would be sanctioned by the competent authority under rules governing earned leave, the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile,The government has asked financial commissioners and administrative secretaries, heads of the departments, divisional commissioners and DCs not to transfer officers/officials posted in districts and connected with the preparation of electoral rolls and elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions and municipalities. This would include supporting staff, officers and officials of the municipalities.

The instructions have been issued in view of the elections to Panchayati Raj bodies and municipalities due in April-May.

A letter to this effect, issued by the Chief Secretary, states that in cases where it is considered necessary to transfer an officer connected with the preparation of electoral rolls and election of these institutions, approval of the State Election Commission may be obtained.

Karnal, February 17
Under the banner of the Bharatiya Pratima Raksha Samman Samiti, more than 50 educational, cultural, social and religious organisations today conferred the International Kalpana Chawla Gaurav Samman on local MLA Sumita Singh for her continued support to the setting up of Kalpana Chawla Medical College.

The award was presented at an impressive function at SBS School. A colourful cultural programme was organised on the occasion. Social, cultural, professional and religious, organisations had joined hands to demand a medical college after cosmonaut Kalpana Chawla, who was killed while on a mission. Sumita Singh was never found wanting in extending active cooperation to the cause. National president of the Bharatiya Pritama Raksha Samman Samiti welcomed Sumita Singh. He showered praise on the MLA for her contribution to fulfilling the popular demand.

Kalpana, who studied at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, was a local girl. She shifted to the US for higher studies. The demand for a college and hospital in her memory had become an emotive issue. It became an issue during the October 2009 assembly elections. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda conceded the demand only after the elections and the local MLA is believed to have played a major role in seeing the demand was met.

Panipat, February 17
The panchayat of Karhans village in Samalkha segment has excommunicated Pramod and his family after the latter was caught molesting a minor.

The villagers held a panchayat in which representatives of all 36 castes in the village participated. Pramod and his family were ex-communicated and asked to leave the village within 10 days.

Pramod was reportedly caught by the girl’s mother while committing the crime. However, he managed to flee and threatened the victim’s mother that she would be killed if she reported the matter to the police.

But the girl’s mother approached the police and a case was registered against Pramod, who was then arrested. The girl’s medical examination report is awaited.

Angry villagers held a panchayat on the premises of the village temple yesterday. Families of the accused and that of the victim were also present.

The villagers said it was unacceptable to allow a man “who had stooped so low” to stay in the village. Therefore, Pramod and his family was asked to leave the village. The decision was taken unanimously.

Chandigarh, February 17
The Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Haryana, has decided to disburse old-age and other pension in the state through banks during 2010-11.

This was disclosed at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati to review the performance of the schemes/projects of various departments.

The decision to disburse pension through banks has been taken to check irregularities and complaints and to ensure that pension and financial assistance under all schemes are provided to genuine persons.

Initially, memoranda of understanding (MoUs ) have been signed with five banks - Punjab National Bank, the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Corporation Bank - to implement the decisions on a pilot basis in five districts - Panchkula (Morni block), Karnal (Assandh block), Kurukshetra (Babain), Rohtak (Lakhan Majra) and Hisar ((Hisar-I block).

It was stated at the meeting that the department had also taken steps to ensure timely sanction of pension in each case andbeneficiaries/claimants were duly intimated about the sanction of their cases. A proper system for ensuring timely audit of the accounts would also be evolved to bring transparency in the functioning of the department and to curb the tendency of committing irregularities or embezzlement/fraud by officials.

It was also stated at the meeting that the department had initiated the Jawahar Social Infrastructure Mission with an estimated investment of Rs 150 crore in the next three years for imparting education, vocational training and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in a systematic and professional manner so that they got an opportunity to develop themselves without discrimination.

Fatehabad, February 17
Tragedy struck a family from Rajasthan when two of its members were killed when their Bolero jeep collided head on with a roadways bus near the Police Lines here this evening.

The bus, trying to overtake a military truck, was on the wrong side of the road.

Four others, Lucky, Kiran, Bhagwati and Rakesh, were seriously injured in the accident. The family members of Raj Kumar of Churipeshawar village near Sikar had come to Bothan Kalan, near here, for a marriage function.

Sona Devi was thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact of the accident and crushed under the front tyre of the bus.

Raj Kumar’s son Rakesh, who was sitting on the front seat, also died on the spot. His body was extricated from the mangled vehicle with much difficulty. The injured were taken to Medical College, Agroha, and Hisar.

Volunteers of the Radhasoami Dera and Dera Sacha Sauda helped the police in the rescue operations.

Meanwhile, a report from Sirsa said a youth died of drowning in the water supply tank of the Public Health Department on the bypass road of the town.

Jaspal Singh, alias Chhinda, had gone missing from his Khairpur Mohalla house since last night.

His body was found in the water tank this morning.The police has sent the body for a postmortem examination in order to rule out any foul play.

Karnal, February 17
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Haryana, has given a call for a mahapanchayat of farmers (Lalkar Rally) in protest against the “anti-farmer policies” of successive central and state governments.

The rally will be held at Old Anaj Mandi in the city tomorrow.

The rally will decide the future course of action to force the governments to suitably amend the farm policies to ensure remunerative returns to farmers and save them from exploitation by middlemen, state BKU general secretary Seva Singh Arya said.

The main demands of the farmers included fixing of support price keeping in view the cost of production and agricultural inputs, sound mechanism for procurement of agricultural produce close to the farms, prompt payment for produce purchased by government agencies and effective steps to break the government-trader “nexus” resulting in exploitation of farmers.

He said the farmers were demanding a minimum support price of Rs 1,500 per quintal for wheat, six-monthly payment of electricity bills and no acquisition of farmers’ land without their consent.

Arya said installation of a separate transformer for each tubewell was a welcome step but according to reliable sources, the government was toying with the idea of amending the policy, making the farmers concerned responsible for fire or theft.

This move was fraught with dangerous consequences as it was the responsibility of the government to ensure safety and security of the infrastructure created by it and it could not transfer that responsibility to the farmers who pay the bills for the facilities and services rendered to them.The agricultural sector was the worst hit by the “wrong policies” of the government and it was an irony that producers were not getting remunerative prices while prices of commodities were skyrocketing, crushing the consumers.

Panipat, February 17
Implementing the Haryana Regulation of Property Dealers and Consultants Act of 2008, the district administration has asked all property dealers in the district to get a proper licence to continue their practice.

In an order issued here today, Deputy Commissioner Vijay Singh Dahiya said the licence would be issued by the District Collector and in case the property dealers failed to get the licence, action would be initiated against them.

The DC said under the provisions of the Act, violators could face imprisonment of six months and a fine ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

The Bill, which was tabled in the Assembly in September 2008, had been passed the same month.

After the enforcement of this Act, no property dealer or his representative would be allowed to enter into transactions of sale, purchase, exchange of property without obtaining a licence.

The provision of Act also specifies that no property dealer or his representative, directly or indirectly, can purchase any immovable property for which he has received or is likely to receive commission from the owner of such property except with prior permission from the Collector.

The Deputy Commissioner said the Act aimed at curbing the unrestricted mushrooming of property dealers in the state and to save the unsuspecting common man from getting duped by unscrupulous property dealers by ensuring transparency in all dealings.

Kaithal, February 17
Frequent and unscheduled power cuts have affected day-to-day life in Kaithal, other neighbouring towns and rural areas of the district. This has been causing a lot of resentment among the people against the government.

Whenever the consumers contact officials concerned to know about the exact timings of the cuts, they are told that these have been imposed as per the directions of the power controller. Such cuts have become a routine affair. Those running industries and workshops have to use generators to carry on their business activities. As there is no prior information about the timings of the power cuts, the consumers have to face a lot of inconvenience.

After the setting up of the Yamuna Nagar Thermal Power House, people had hoped to get better power supply, but despite the increase in generation, the situation remains the same.

The consumers are apprehensive that the situation may further worsen in the coming summer season and flay the claims made by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to improve power situation within five years of coming to power. Now, the CM, Power Minister and senior functionaries of the nigam claim that once the Khedar Power Plant starts functioning in full capacity, there will be no power shortage.

The reports of power shortage come mainly from Guhla, Kalayat, Pundri, Rajound and other neighbouring areas. The consumers demand that if the UHBVN cannot maintain regular power supply, then the power cuts should be imposed in such a way that the consumers should face minimum inconvenience.

Rewari , February 17
The Rampura police has registered a case of harassment for dowry and criminal breach of trust against Sarita Yadav’s husband Sarjit Yadav, father-in-law Phool Singh Yadav, mother-in-law Ram Kala Yadav and three others.

The accused are all residents of Beri village in Mahendergrah district.

Sarita, daughter of Dharamvir Yadav of Dehlawas village, got married to Sarjit on November 26, 2007.

Her father complained that his daughter was persistently subjected to cruel treatment by her in-laws who kept demanding more dowry.