Chandigarh, May 14
The Haryana power sector has suffered another setback. A supplier, which had promised 300 MW of power to the state power utilities, has gone back on its word.

Haryana had entered into an agreement with the Power Trading Corporation (PTC), technically a non-government organisation but in practice as good as a Central Government undertaking, for supply of 300 MW power in 2005-06.

The PTC, in turn, was to get this supply from Lanco’s Amarkantak project to be established in Chhattisgarh. Since the government had reached this agreement through an MOU instead of the bidding process, the agreement came under severe criticism from the INLD. However, since the rate of Rs 2.25 per unit for 25 years was highly competitive and favourable to the state, the criticism did not make any impact.

The power was to flow to Haryana in September last. Already it has been delayed by eight months.

Now, the company has informed Haryana through the PTC that its project had been delayed as the supply of equipment from China had been held up following an earthquake in that country. What is more worrisome for Haryana is the virtual refusal of the company to supply power to it at the agreed rate.

The company has written that since it had an agreement with the Chhattisgarh government that 30 per cent of the power generated from the project would be supplied to the home state, it could not supply the entire 300 MW power to be generated from Unit I, which has come into operation.

Moreover, the company says since its fuel cost has gone up, the rate should be renegotiated. Sources in the Haryana power utilities say the company’s agreement with Chhattisgarh was signed after it had committed power to Haryana.

Also, the agreement does not mention that 30 per cent power is to be given to Chhattisgarh from each unit.

The company is putting up six units there. It can meet its contractual obligations towards Chhattisgarh from other units.

Haryana is now exploring what legal action it can take against Lanco.

It may be recalled that Lanco, which had also entered into another agreement with Haryana to supply power through the bidding process, has already gone back on that agreement. Meanwhile, an official spokesman said here today that the Haryana power utilities had made adequate arrangements to supply power to the agriculture and other sectors.

The utilities had made banking arrangement for short-term power supply for 300 MW from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and 40 MW from the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) for the month of June.

The state would also procure 116.4 MW power from Himachal through the PTC. The banking arrangement for 200 MW from the TNEB and 80 MW from the HPSEB had been made for July.

The utilities will also procure 250 MW from Karnataka, 100 MW from West Bangal and 216 MW from Himachal.

For August, 50 MW will be available from the HPSEB.

Chandigarh, May 14
The CPM today criticised the “political opportunism” of the two main political parties of Haryana, the Congress and the INLD, in encouraging khaps for their vote politics.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Nilotpal Basu, a former MP and a member of Central Secretariat of the CPM, and Inderjit Singh, Haryana state secretary of the party, claimed that there was a hidden agenda behind the demand for an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act to ban the same-gotra and same-village marriages.

Basu said just as “Hindu communalism” was being used to establish the supremacy of one particular religion in the country, the demand to ban the same-gotra and same-village marriages was a ruse to establish caste supremacy.

The Communist leaders said the Khaps and their political supporters were trying to push the state back to the medieval times and to create social strife. They said the Hindu Marriage Act was the result of a long-struggle and any tinkering with it just to appease one section of the population residing in a small area of Haryana would be a retrograde step.

They said had these Khaps not been enjoying political patronage they would not have dared to trample upon the fundamental rights of citizens with impunity. They said instead of raising non-issues, efforts should have been made to address basic issues being faced by the general public like worsening law and order and atrocities on Dalits and women.

The Communist leaders were of the opinion that after the court pronounced death sentence in the Manoj-Babli murder case, the Khap leaders realised that now their leadership was in danger. Therefore, they had raised this demand for amending the Act in a bid to keep their power to subjugate the others. Basu accused the Congress-led Haryana government of abdicating its duty to provide security to vulnerable sections.

He said many voters in the last elections had voted for the INLD because they were disenchanted with the Congress but unfortunately even this party had extended support to the self- styled Khap panchayats sheer out of electoral opportunism to gain some votes in the forthcoming local bodies elections. Inderjit Singh said in Chautala, the native village of the INLD president, about 200 couples married in the same village. Basu hailed the National Human Rights Commission for taking a suo motu cognizance of the violent activities of these khaps in recent months in the state.

The CPM leaders appealed to all sections of the people to see through the “divisive game of reactionary forces” and isolate them in the interest of social justice and rule of law.

They also warned all political parties to refrain from cheap tactics for their electoral gains.

Faridabad, May 14
A la “Sholey”, Rakesh Verma today perched himself on the tower of a police control room in the mini-Secretariat here and held the administration to ransom, demanding that his beloved be called to the spot or else he would jump to death.

The authorities had to bow to his threats and rush his ladylove and her parents living in Chawla Colony in Ballabgarh to the spot. The “Veeru” relented when beseeched by his “ Basanti” to climb down.

The police did not take action against the youth for threatening to commit suicide. Deputy Commissioner Praveen Kumar said the youth seemed mentally disturbed. His parents had passed away some time ago. He seemed to suffer from psychological problems.

A native of Narwana in Jind, Rakesh is now living in Gurgaon. He had reportedly complained to the police alleging that the girl he loved was being pressured by her parents to keep away from him. The police, treating the complaint as “routine”, dismissed it in its daily diary.

Rakesh claimed he and his beloved had tied the nuptial knot on March 13 this year at Shani Temple in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter,they had gone into hiding and were residing in Subash Colony in Panipat. Following a police complaint by the girl’s parents, a manhunt was launched. They were found in Panipat on March 18 and the girl sent off with her parents. Rakesh was let off with a warning.

A desperate Rakesh climbed up the tower of the police control room after 7 am today and seems to have got his way. Three fleets of the fire brigade were requistioned to the spot.

Chandigarh, May 14
Adding another twist to the same gotra marriage controversy, a Bhiwani district resident and two others today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for directing the Union of India and other respondents to prevent such weddings.

In their petition filed in public interest, Kapoor Singh Jakhar of Charkhi Dadri and the two others asked for the framing of a “fresh law” or amendment to the existing Hindu Marriage Act for “prohibiting marriages among girls and boys of the same gotra or clan.

Directions have also been sought for annulling such marriages “because medical science has proven time and again that marriages among close relatives might lead to genetic disorders in the offspring”. The petition, filed through counsel RK Handa, says “allowing such marriages to exist would play havoc with the fabric of society. Claiming to be “right spirited persons”, the petitioners said they had been “making efforts in spreading awareness regarding health and yoga teachings and imparting training also…. The present petition is being filed in public interest as at present there is unrest in society, particularly in the Jat community in the state of Haryana, regarding same gotra marriages…. Referring to the khap mahapanchayat held on May 2, the petitioners said in the conference it was assured that an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act would be carried out. “In the circumstances, the petitioners seek direction from this court to the respondents to constitute appropriate legislation by way of framing a fresh law and amending the Hindu Marriage Act, so as to prohibit marriages among girls and boys of the same gotra”. The hearing on the petition stands adjourned, as of now. — TNS

Sirsa, May 14
The Government Railway Police has registered a case after villagers stopped two passenger trains at the Suchan railway station in this district today.

The villagers first stopped a passenger train that came from Sirsa and was heading towards Hisar.

In the meantime, the Kisan Express that came from the opposite direction was also stopped by villagers. The villagers were demanding removal of a goods train standing on the railway station for the past over 24 hours. “A goods train has been standing at the village station since Wednesday evening and has blocked the railway crossing. Villagers, especially schoolchildren, have been facing difficulty in going past the railway lines on vehicles,” alleged Roshan Suchan, state convener of the All-India Students Federation and resident of the village.

He said the engine of the goods train had been sent somewhere and there was no chance of its early removal. Later, Sirsa SDM Satish Jain reached there with a police force and persuaded villagers to let the trains proceed towards their destinations. The GRP has registered a case under Sections 341, 186 , 148 and 149 (rioting) of the IPC and Section 156 of the Indian Railways Act against the villagers.

Gurgaon, May 14
An internationally acclaimed Indian cardiac surgeon and chairman-cum-managing director of Gurgaon-based Medanta Medicity, Dr Naresh Trehan, has asserted that the traditional Indian system of medicine is a healthier and cost-effective alternative to the modern medicine or allopathy.

Addressing a press conference at the Medicity here today, Dr Trehan maintained that the combinations of herbs prescribed in ayurveda focused on strengthening the body’s immune system instead of suppressing the disorder or removing the diseased organ or part.

“Ayurvedic potions and herb combinations do not cause much side effects like allopathic drugs and are much healthier and a cost-effective alternative as well,” he stated. Citing an example, the renowned surgeon pointed out that a simple combination of herbs like karela and Arjuna chhaal was an easily available and economical way to keep cholesterol under check, as against the statins prescribed by allopathic physicians worldwide, which have adverse effects on one’s liver and muscles.

A recipient of prestigious honours like the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, Dr Trehan said the media had a much greater role to play in spreading awareness about health issues among the masses.

He also advocated health insurance cover and asserted that it should be taken by all well-meaning organisations for their staff members. Dr Trehan, along with noted neurosurgeon and chairman of the Institute of Neuro-Sciences at Medanta Medicity, Dr Ajaya Nand Jha, also announced the launch of Miyabi Brain Suite-guided Brain Tumour Surgery system at the medicity.

The MRI-guided system permits the neurosurgeon to have an MRI study on the patient during the surgery so that in case a part of the tumour has remained unseen by the eye, it can be detected by special MRI sequences and targeted using the neuro-navigation technique.

Further, tumour fluorescence can help detect small bits and pieces of tumour that otherwise are likely to be left behind. All this while, the microscope display digitally outlines the critical brain areas, critical nerve fibres, and also the outline of the tumour.

This has permitted an aggressive removal of highly malignant brain tumours, which will enhance survival.

“With the introduction of the system, the chances of error or collateral damage can be minimised as with this, neither too little, nor too much of the tumour will be removed,” they maintained, adding that there were 30 per cent chances of error in such kind of surgeries worldwide conducted without this system.

Chandigarh, May 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is yet to take a decision in the case of Haryana’s senior-most judge SK Sardana.

Contrary to media reports, so far the retirement of Rewari’s District and Sessions Judge Sardana in public interest has not been recommended.

Sardana’s functioning had recently been commented upon by the high court in two of its orders passed on the judicial side. In fact, three judges of the High Court in two separate orders had blamed Sardana for making “illegal, irrational, invalid and arbitrary” selections of court staff during his tenure as the sessions judge, Rohtak.

Available information suggests the matter has not even been placed before the Full Court.

It was initially brought to the notice of the administrative committee, comprising five senior-most judges of the High Court. But the committee has referred the matter to the appraisal committee. The decision to retire a judge compulsorily can only be taken by the Full Court, before which the matter is yet to be placed. Sardana has a little more than two years of service left. His name was recommended for High Court judgeship during the tenure of the then Chief Justice Vijender Jain.

The Tribune was the first one to report on April 7 that Justice Permod Kohli of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has set aside the selection of about 40 employees made in 2007 in the Rohtak district courts.