Faridabad, May 5
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) today launched its “Bijli Baithaks” in its areas of jurisdiction comprising 10 districts in southern Haryana to reach out to the consumers.

The programme was kicked off by Managing Director of the DHBVN Sudhir Rajpal in Fatehabad. The “baithaks” were also held at Ballabgarh in Faridabad circle, Manesar in Gurgaon circle, Ding in Sirsa circle and Bawani Khera in Bhiwani circle.

This is the second time that the DHBVN has organised such meetings, the first time being several years ago. This time it seeks to make value addition by aiming to go beyond the singular purpose of redressing grievances on the spot.

As per the brief given to officers by the DHBVN MD, the purpose of holding such “baithaks” would be to enlighten consumers about the policies of the utility as well as to educate them on the best possible usage of the available pool of power without wastage.

It seems the power utility is following the carrot and stick policy. While keeping the line and staff members of the department on their toes, the MD wants to improve the public image of the utility by taking it nearer to the consumers.

The Superintending Engineer would preside over the “baithaks” every Wednesday and the Chief Engineer every Saturday in their areas of jurisdiction. All sections of consumers from all areas in a division would be covered once in a month.

This arrangement has received accolades from a wide section of consumers rooting for transparency and efficiency in government functioning.

Meanwhile, the DHBVN has gone ahead with the levy of “peak load exemption scheme” for use of power by industrial units. The move is a sequel to an order of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC).

The utility, as an exemption, would allow up to 10 per cent of “sanctioned contract demand” to the applicant industrial units during peak load hours.

This had been a long-standing demand of the industry, especially from Faridabad and Gurgaon, as the exemption would allow for optimal use of their production capacity.

The exemption will be levied at Rs 2 per unit over and above the applicable tariff for use of electricity at 10 per cent load during peak load hours.

Also, if a consumer uses power above 10 per cent of the sanctioned contract demand, the charge would be higher at Rs 4 per unit above the normal tariff.

While decision on 10 per cent exemption to the industrial units concerned would be decided at the local level, the applications for exemption in the higher category would be decided at the DHBVN headquarters on merit. Another rider is that the facility would be available to only those “high-tension” industrial consumers who have metered supply through “electronic trivector” meters with a facility of recording “time of day” consumption.

Chandigarh, May 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the states of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to formulate a policy on the protection of runaway couples, while making it clear they can approach the high court directly also.

As a petition on runaway couples came up for hearing this morning, the division bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh made it clear that there was no bar on their approaching the high court directly.

The bench also made it clear that the previous orders permitting the couples to move the district courts for protection was intended to provide temporary relief, till they came to the high court.

The bench elaborated in the open court that the directions were meant to provide protection to the couples, not to restrict them from coming to the court.

The observations came after the Bar approached the bench on the issue. Complaining of problems in the filing of petitions, the Bar verbally asked for directions to the high court registry to permit them to file the petitions. They contended the high court registry was not accepting their petitions, following the high court orders.

Taking cognisance of widespread violence brought about by love, the high court on March 31 had ensured judicial shelter for the runaway couples by directing district and sessions judges in the two states and Chandigarh to pass necessary orders on their plea for protection.

The directions were significant, as the couples - haunted by the khap panchayats or by other relatives - were only moving the high court for protection. In the process, so many of them were manhandled, even assaulted, on the high court premises.

The problem was particularly bad for the couples for Haryana. In the absence of immediate judicial protection in some cases, they were exposed to the wrath of the khap panchayats. The high court, too, was practically overburdened with their petitions for protection.

Before parting with the case, the Bench also asked the states to formulate the policy, keeping in view the recommendations made by a committee, including directions to the registrar of marriages to register such marriages on the basis of prima facie proof of age, identity of parties and marital status.

The other suggestions are temporary registration of marriages outside the districts from where they hail, the setting up of protection homes, provision for reconciliation and mediation facilities, and guidelines for the registration of cases.

The committee was set up by the HC to evolve a humanitarian mechanism for redressing the grievances of runaway couples, and their parents.

Among others, it comprised senior advocates Rajinder Singh Cheema and ML Sarin. The directions for constituting the committee followed HC’s suo-motu cognisance of rising number of cases involving runaway couples. 

Chandigarh, May 5
Members of the subordinate judiciary in Haryana are happy over the Supreme Court order to all states to revise their salaries with effect from January 1, 2006.

The order came as part of the judgement delivered on a writ petition filed by the All-India Judges Association by a Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishanan yesterday.

The other members of the Bench were Justice Deepak Verma and Justice BS Chauhan. Subordinate judges describe the judgement as a gift by the Chief Justice to them before his retirement. Justice Balakrishanan retires on May 11.

The apex court has directed the state governments that the revised pay scales as per the Justice Padam Nabham Committee report should be implemented with 60 per cent of arrears to be paid in cash and the remaining deposited in the provident fund of the subordinate judges.

On behalf of the Haryana judges, Dr Neelima Shangla, Additional Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, who is president of the Haryana Judicial Officers Association, appeared before the Supreme Court as petitioner-in-person to argue the case. Shangla argued that the state governments earned hundreds of crores of rupees as revenue through court fee and fines imposed by the judicial courts. But not even 10 per cent of the collected amount was spent on providing basic facilities to the judicial courts as per the Justice Shetty Commission report submitted a few years ago.

The Supreme Court agreed with her, observing that a significant part of the revenue provided by the courts should be spent by the state governments on providing basic infrastructure to the courts. The judgement will ensure an increase of about Rs 20,000 per month in the salary of the subordinate judges at the entry level.

In this case, renowned legal luminary FS Nariman was appointed amicus curie along with ATM Sampath. Various states have implemented the Sixth Pay Commission report for its employees. For the judicial officers, the Centre had set up the Justice Padam Nabham Committee. Though its report was out a couple of years ago, it was not being implemented by various states. This had forced the All-India Judges Association to move the Supreme Court.

Sirsa, May 5
The Executive Committee (EC) of Chaudhary Devi Lal University will now consider action on the report of the university’s women complaint committee on the alleged sexual harassment of a student of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department by her two teachers.

Dr KS Khokhar, Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, who also holds the additional charge of the university, said today that the EC was the only competent body to take action against teachers.

“I have asked the Registrar to convene a meeting of the EC at the shortest possible time that is necessary under the statutes as notice,” said Dr Khokhar.

The report, meanwhile, is being kept a closely guarded secret by the university authorities.

The university authorities had got the allegations of the complainant probed from the women complaint committee of the university following a communication from the Haryana State Women’s Commission.

The commission, taking cognisance of the reports published in the media, had asked the university authorities to get the allegations probed from the committee constituted in light of the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Vishakha and others versus State of Rajasthan.

The university authorities, according to sources, have also faxed a similar communication to the commission.

Meanwhile, the victim, who had accused the two teachers of sexual harassment, today alleged that she was being subjected to undue pressure ahead of her annual examinations starting on May 11.

In a letter addressed to the university Registrar, copy of which has been sent to the Haryana State Women’s Commission, the girl alleged that due to “inordinate delay” by the university authorities to make the report public, the accused teachers have been putting excessive and unwarranted pressure on her and other members of her family.

She said: “Six to seven days have passed since the committee submitted the report, but still I have not been given a copy of it.”

“Before the beginning of the inquiry, I had conveyed my apprehension that teachers, who were earlier pressurising me for a compromise, have been made members of the newly constituted committee.

“Now, my fears have been reinforced that the authorities were out to save the teachers,” the girl alleged in her letter sent to the university authorities as well as the State Women’s Commission.

She has demanded a copy of the report as well as a CD of the video recording of the meeting of the women complaint committee.

Efforts were made to contact Registrar RK Sehgal, but his office said he was busy in some meeting. 

Jhajjar, May 5
Acting on an inquiry report that had exposed a nexus between Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) officials and Sanskriti Institute of Education and Technology, Narnaul, the university authorities have not only remove a clerk but also withheld the detail mark sheets (DMCs) of all those three candidates whose results were declared by the university without appearing in the annual written examinations of B.PEd course.

The sacked clerk, Jaidev, had been working on contract basis in the Result Branch-1. He was held guilty of committing fraud and indulging in corrupt practice along with another employee of the university and the college principal in the inquiry report.

During the investigation, Jaidev had confessed to have prepared fake admit cards of those five candidates who were neither enrolled for the B.PEd course nor registered in the university record.

Jaidev had committed this act without having signature of the superintendent concerned and without confirming the matter with the registration branch. Jaidev also disclosed that the examination forms of the new candidates were attested by the college principal.

Confirming the removal of the clerk, the MDU controller of examination KC Dadwal said official procedure to take further action against those held “guilty” in the inquiry report had been initiated.

“After the academic council of the university discusses the case, it will be forwarded to the executive council, which would finally decide the fate of the guilty employee and the principal,” said Dadwal.

He also confirmed that DMCs of all those three candidates had been withheld, who did not appear in the written examination. “The DMCs be issued or not, ultimate decision to this effect will be taken after sorting out the case,” said Dadwal. Notably, the nexus was exposed by The Tribune in these columns on April 16 last.

The inquiry report had also held the principal of the college guilty of extorting huge amount of money from all candidates and of defrauding them by admitting them against already filled seats and recommended a vigilance inquiry into the matter, a charge sheet against the university employees and removal of the college principal.

The report disclosed that five fabricated admit cards for the annual theoretical exams were issued by the university employees to candidates who were not even enrolled for BP Ed course. Interestingly, on the basis of fabricated admit cards, three of the five candidates, Rashida Jamal, Amit Joshi and Mukesh Chander, succeeded in appearing for the theoretical exams against Ekta Gangwar, Menka and Chhaya Gangwar, respectively.

Chandigarh, May 5
If the Congress government in Haryana is finding itself tied in the Mirchpur knot, its own party men are to be blamed. The opposition parties did not do anything serious, barring a few customary statements, to embarrass the tragic incident, in which a Dalit along with his differently abled teenaged daughter was burnt alive when a crowd of the dominant community allegedly set their houses on fire.

More than the opposition leaders, it was the presence of certain Congress leaders in the village, who wanted to be one up over Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which made the task of the administration to defuse the situation difficult.

These leaders had reportedly told the victims to put up “difficult” demands like having houses away from the village so that they could feel secure. This is a demand, which the administration finds difficult to accept as it would open floods gates. Even if a minor incident takes place anywhere in the state, such demands would be made.

It was not without reason when Haryana Social Justice, Empowerment, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Minister and Chairperson of the Haryana Congress SC, ST and BC Cell, Geeta Bhukkal, herself a Dalit, appealed to the victims of Mirchpur yesterday that they should be vigilant of those “unscrupulous elements who were bent upon to break up the social fabric of society with a view to gain political mileage.”

Though she did not named the “unscrupulous elements”, it was obvious whom she was referring to.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s surprise visit to Mirchpur did goad the state government to speedily accept the demands of the victims. At the same time, it helped the Congress to “ward off” similar visits by Dalit leaders of the opposition. BSP president and UP Chief Minister Mayawati, who was quick to visit Dulina in Jhajjar district and Gohana in Sonepat district, where violence against the Dalits took place, has not visited Mirchpur so far.

Meanwhile, certain leaders of the dominant community, read Jats, have demanded a CBI inquiry into the Mirchpur incident “for knowing the truth”. What they are refraining from saying openly is that the violence was first started by those who are now claiming to be victims.

Ambala, May 5
The Postal Department has drawn an ambitious plan to introduce passenger reservation system facility at 128 post offices across the state in association with ARM Solutions Pvt Ltd for providing reservation facility of air, railway and bus tickets through post offices.

Indu Gupta, Chief Post Master General, here today said that the service called genie ease-ticket service was launched today following an encouraging response from the public. The facility was earlier introduced in 1,010 post offices in Tamil Nadu, 565 post offices in Karnataka, 177 post offices in Kerala, 592 post offices in Gujarat and 13 post offices in Assam.

Chairman of ARM Solutions Pvt Ltd Usman Faryaz said the service was set up in 2008 and later installed in other states. A survey would shortly be conducted by the railways to study the feasibility of the scheme of introduction of the reservation system facility in post offices in the state.

He further said they had planned to roll out the service in over 8,000 post offices in the country within a period of two years.

Sources in the postal department said the Haryana postal circle had a total of 2,655 post offices, out of which 128 had been identified for the launch of the services in the first phase.

In Ambala Cantt, the Chief PMG had started the facility today by inaugurating it at the head post office. The specially identified counter for railway reservation tickets was jointly inaugurated by Indu Gupta and Dr Usman Faryaz.

The Post Master General said the travel industry was set for a tremendous growth and in the next five years, this service shall be extended across the state. 

Jhajjar, May 5
In order to maintain congenial environment and cleanness in government hospitals, community health centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs) and sub-health centres in the state, the Haryana government has decided to launch a special campaign soon.

Under the drive, lawns will be maintained properly to make the hospital campus environment friendly. Besides, toilets and bathrooms will be kept clean. Old mats will be changed to create a pleasant atmosphere for patients.

Stating this in a press note issued here today, Haryana Health Minister Geeta Bhukkal said she had directed the Director, Haryana Rural Development, to assist the Health Department by providing a helper in shape of a gardener under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

“I will personally visit the health institutions to ensure congenial and patient friendly environment as it has come to my notice that proper attention is not being given towards cleanliness,” said the minister, adding that directions had been given to the civil surgeons and medical officers to take special steps to dispose off the used syringes and medical waste to avoid spread of any kind of contagious diseases.

“The state government has been making special efforts to launch immunisation campaign especially in urban areas. I have directed the health authorities to devise a strategy to launch a campaign in urban areas under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme,” maintained Bhukkal. 

Chandigarh, May 5
Old is not always gold and especially not when it comes to cars meant for use by ministers. Austerity measures notwithstanding, Haryana’s ministers want the latest models, and they have their reasons.

The ministers are dissatisfied with the ground clearance of their present vehicles, the Toyota Camarys. Sources in the Transport Department said the government was looking at vehicles priced in the range of Rs 18 to 20 lakh manufactured by Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Hyundai and Honda.

Unhappy with the ground clearance of 15 cm of the Camary, the ministers, it seems, now want vehicles with higher ground clearance. Time and again, they have complained that manoeuverability of their vehicles in villages and its streets is rather difficult and they are forced to walk down to their destinations.

Further, it is learnt that the department has asked the ministerial car section to compile data on the fuel consumption, maintenance and other such parameters to make a strong case for replacement of the vehicles.

Sources said though the move was still in its initial stages and a committee comprising ministers and officers had identified a few “suitable” models of the big brands in the automobile sector. However, before shortlisting any particular brands or models, the committee will first get a “feel” of the vehicles they have identified in the price bracket it has laid down after which the final recommendation will be made.

Various other parameters, including fuel efficiency, safety measures, comfort level, will also be taken into consideration.

The committee will make its recommendations and seek the Finance Department’s approval and seek the go-ahead from the Chief Minister before taking it to the Cabinet.

The state has had to tighten its purse strings in the face of the falling revenue and the “additional burden” on the state government by way of salary burden on account of the Sixth Pay Commission report, pension and arrear bills besides the global meltdown. The Camry, manufactured by the Japanese automobile giant Toyota, were given to the ministers during the last term of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. Fearing that the party high command could take an adverse view of the purchase of luxury cars, the government had then tactfully timed the purchase. It was done only after the Punjab government had bought cars for its ministers. Later, the “liberal” government allowed Maruti Suzuki sedans exclusively for the use of families of ministers.

Before the Hooda government came to power in 2005, the Indian National Lok Dal-led state government had purchased Hyundai Sonata cars for its ministers only three years before it was voted out of power. Replacing cars for ministers every new term by successive governments has become a tradition in Haryana. 

Jind, May 5
In a move to garner support of political parties in the state for its demand for amendment to the Hind Marriage Act to ban marriages within the same gotra and village, representatives of the Sarvajatiya Khap Panchayat today met INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala and submitted a memorandum to him.

Chautala, Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, assured the delegation that he would bring a resolution in the assembly for taking up the demand of the panchayat for an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act, said a spokesperson of the body.

He claimed that the former Chief Minister also assured his support if the state or the Centre adopts a resolution on the issue. Mewa Singh, who led the delegation, claimed that the panchayat had been pursuing what had been resolved at the Sarva Jatiya Mahapanchayat held at Pai in Kaithal on May 2, in which it was made clear that no marriage in the same gotra, same village and even in the neighboring village would be acceptable and the government should amend the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, suitably to adjust these demands so that there was no violation of the well-known social norms.

Randhir Singh, head of the Meham Chaubisi Panchayat, Tek Ram Kandela of the Kandela Khap and Krishan Khatkar of the Khatkar Khap were among others who constituted the delegation.

The INLD is the first political party to support the demand of the Sarva Jatiya Khap Panchayat on amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act.

The panchayat has also declared to 'gherao' and oppose those MPs and MLAs who fail to give support to its demand. 

Sirsa, May 5
In the run-up to the state-level “Red Cross Day” celebrations at CMK National Post-Graduate College here on May 8, the authorities have been holding blood donation camps in Sirsa and other parts of the district almost daily.

Governor Jagannath Pahadia will be the chief guest at the state-level function that will see blood donation camps by over a dozen organisations.

District Red Cross Societies from all over Haryana would exhibit their achievements on the occasion and tricycles distributed among the differently abled.

Three blood donation camps were organised on May 1 - at CMK National PG College, DAV School at Ellenabad and Raktdata Society, Ellenabad.

An NGO organised a camp at Dabwali, while college lecturer RC Limba celebrated his 52nd birthday by holding a blood donation camp at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium here.

A camp was organised at Government Industrial Training Institute on May 3, while Government Polytechnic, Sirsa, held one yesterday.

Sirsa district ranks among the top in the country in the matter of voluntary blood donation, thanks to Deputy Commissioner Yudhbir Singh Khyalia.

Khyalia’s name appeared in the Limca Book of Records last year for motivating maximum blood donations in 2009.

He was elected president of the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in November last year during a national conference of the society.

He is credited with several firsts, including putting information regarding 1,04,200 voluntary blood donors of Sirsa district on the website www.bravoblooddonor.org, with the mobile numbers and addresses of regular donors.

The Youth Energy Management Programme will “The programme is funded by the European Union, the Confederation of Indian Industries and the NGOs, British Council and the City Guilds,” said Khyalia. Justice NP Gupta on ATF Bench

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal has got its second judicial member with Justice Narayan Prashad Gupta being appointed to the post. He is scheduled to start from tomorrow.

With his appointment, two courts will start functioning here, which will distribute the workload of cases presently confined to a single court. A third judicial member is expected to be appointed soon.

Justice Gupta has retired from the Rajasthan High Court, to which he was elevated on January 20, 2000. During his stint with the High Court, he was chairman of the Rajasthan High Court Legal Aid Committee for about a year and then headed the computer committee.

Earlier, he began his career as an advocate in the district courts at Udaipur and soon after started practicing at the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur.

He has also been a panel lawyer for various statutory and non-statutory organisations.

Till now, Justice Ghanshyam Prashad was the sole judicial member hearing cases along with three administrative members, Lt-Gen HS Panag, Lt-Gen AS Bahia and Lt-Gen NS Brar.

Located in Chandimandir military station, the Chandigarh Bench, which was inaugurated in November 2009, has jurisdiction over the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh. About 30-40 cases, dealing with service matters, pension and court martial review, come up for hearing daily. 

Fatehabad, May 5
Husbands and wives living under the same roof have been officially “separated”. They have been placed in different wards of the Ratta Tibba panchayat in this district. Elections to the panchayats are expected to be held some time in July after the completion of the municipal polls.

Several villagers from Ratta Tibba, inhabited predominantly by the Bhakra Dam oustees who came here in and after 1960, have alleged numerous discrepancies in the voter list in a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan.

Showing the list, Baldev Singh Kallehria pointed out that one Chaman Lal, resident of House No. 100, had been placed in ward 7 while his wife Saroj Devi living under the same roof had been placed in ward 8.

The couple will have to vote for different candidates from different wards of the village. Similarly, Mohan Lal and his wife Punita Devi have been placed in wards 5 and 7, respectively.

Baldev Singh himself has been placed in ward 6 of the village along with three other members of his family, while his mother Mokhtiar Devi living with them has been placed in ward 5. Teja Singh, whose family has 14 votes, have been placed in two different wards, 8 and 6. They were all earlier voters of ward 8. “This is a conspiracy to divide our votes and smacks connivance of lower-rung officials of the election department,” alleged Baldev Singh.

The DC maintained that enough time had been provided to the voters to file their claims and objections after the publication of draft lists. He said if the discrepancies had remained, the voters were equally to blame for their lack of vigilance. 

Panipat, May 5
Eight persons, including six army men, were injured following a clash between them and daily commuters on board Jhelum Express near the Samalkha railway station today.

The incident took place when some army men got in confrontation with some daily commuters and allegedly thrashed three of them. Irked, a number of daily passengers got the train halted at the Samalkha railway station and threw stones at the bogie in which the army men were travelling.

Eight persons, including army men Gajanand, Keshav Deshmukh, Ganesh, Anil, Sudhir and Rahul along with Pawan and Ram Bhaj, were injured in the stone pelting.

Due to the clash, the train was delayed for over half an hour. According to the railway officials, none of them sustained serious injuries.

They were given first aid at the station and then discharged.

The matter was settled amicably, following which the train left the station.

However, the incident caused much inconvenience to a large number of passengers. 

Rewari, May 5
The police has arrested a person for allegedly raping a girl while maintaining a live-in relationship with her.

The accused, Neeraj Yadav, a resident of Rajasthan, was yesterday produced in the court of ACJM RK Jain, who remanded him to 14-day judicial custody. The girl, who is expecting, was also medically examined here on Monday.

Earlier, following a complaint lodged by the girl, the police had registered a case of rape, and criminal intimidation against the accused. The girl, who is a divorcee, stated that following her legal separation from her husband in July 2008, she sought employment in a voluntary organisation here where she came into contact with Neeraj who too was employed there.

Soon they became intimate and started maintaining a live-in relationship, following an assurance extended by Neeraj that he would marry her in due course.

However, when she came to know that she was expecting, she asked Neeraj to tie the nuptial knot. But he turned down her constant pleas and left her in the lurch. — OC