Sirsa, June 8
The pre-monsoon showers in the past two days has brought cheer to the farmers.The rain that began on June 5 continued intermittently till early this morning.

The rain will benefit all crops, including the standing crop of cotton and sugarcane, say experts.

“It will help in several ways. First, it has helped in irrigation of fields. Second, it has improved the photosynthesis process in plants and, hence, their growth by removing the dust and third, the rain has brought down the temperature that was threatening the cotton crop,” explained an agriculturist.

The rain has also come as a boon for the farmers who could not sow the cotton crop due to lack of water resources.

They can now opt for arid crops like pulses as pre-watering of their fields has been done by the pre-monsoon showers.

“The drizzle was much-needed,” said GS Mann, a progressive farmer from Kirpal Patti village.

He said the rains would also help farmers in the transplantation of paddy. “This will not only decrease the evaporation of water from agriculture fields flooded with water for transplantation of paddy, but will also minimise percolation of water,” Mann explained.

JS Riar, a farmer from Bajekan village, said though the transplantation of paddy could begin only after June 15 as per the government orders, the rain would bring widespread benefits to the farmers.

Meanwhile, the sowing season for cotton is almost complete in Haryana.

The agriculture authorities are hopeful that the showers may prompt more farmers to opt for the crop. RC Punia, Joint Director (Cotton), Agriculture Department, said till Monday, 4.08 lakh hectares had come under cotton cultivation as against the target of 6 lakh hectares set by the authorities.

The authorities hope that another 10,000 to 15,000 hectares may be added to the area in the next two or three days.

Karnal, June 8
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced that 619 new posts had been created to further strengthen the crime branch of the police.

He stated that 10 per cent quota would be provided for women in the state police to boost women empowerment and the monthly ration money for police personnel of the India Reserve Battalion would be increased from Rs 600 to Rs 840.

He exhorted policemen to play a positive and supportive role in society and inculcate a feeling of fearlessness and security among the people. Hooda, who inspected the passing-out parade of police recruits of the 73rd batch at an impressive march past at the Newal Commando Police Complex here, said, “We are committed to making Haryana a crime-free state and modernising the police force by providing high-tech equipments and gadgets.”

Showing concern over the housing problems faced by the cops, Hooda said the government had already approved a Rs 300 crore special package for providing houses to police personnel. The government had also decided to enhance the relief amount for families of police personnel killed in encounters with terrorists from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and for the injured from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

The Chief Minister felicitated Rakesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and Ravinder Singh of the 73rd batch who secured the first, second and third positions, respectively, in their final examinations of the police training. The three toppers were given letters of appreciation and cash rewards of Rs 30,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively.

As many as 387 new recruits, including 355 from rural areas, were added to the police force today. Of the recruits, five are postgraduates, 96 graduates, 240 have higher secondary qualification and 46 are matriculates.

On this occasion, Arjuna awardee Ramesh Kumar Gulia, an international wrestler, who represented Haryana in various national and international competitions and won the bronze medal in the 2009 senior world wrestling championship, was appointed as a DSP in the Haryana police by the Chief Minister. He is the 10th sportsperson to be appointed DSP.

Chandigarh, June 8
Even as the widow and a son of Tara Chand, who, along with his teenaged differently-abled daughter, was killed when some persons set their house on fire in Mirchpur village of Hisar district on April 1, withdrew themselves from a dharna in Delhi, BSP president Mayawati has fired a salvo at the Hooda government in Haryana.

In view of an incident in Palwal district, where a clash took place between Dalits and members of another community on June 6 during the panchayat elections, Mayawati has demanded that President’s rule be imposed in Haryana in view of the “atrocities on the Dalits”.

The BSP chief has made this demand in a letter to the President of India after she was briefed about the political situation in Haryana by BSP general secretary and in charge of the party affairs in the state Maan Singh Manhera today.

Earlier in the day, Kamla, widow of Tara Chand, and her son, Ravinder, along with certain other persons, who had been sitting in dharna in Balmiki temple at Panchkuian Road, Delhi, for the past several days, met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at his Delhi residence. Hooda assured them of full security in Mirchpur village.

After the meeting, they decided to return to their village.

Before that the agitating Dalits had gone to 10, Janpath, to meet Sonia Gandhi. According to sources, the meeting could not take place.

In a joint statement, Kamla and Ravinder accused a Central Congress leader from Haryana of “instigating” them to continue their agitation in Delhi.

They also alleged that later that leader (whom they named in the statement) let them down.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that senior officers of Hisar district have rushed to Mirchpur, where a section of the Dalits reportedly “taunted” Kamla and those who returned to the village along with her on “backing out of the agreement reached in Hisar” earlier.

Jhajjar, June 8
Bowing to the pressure mounted by a joint panchayat of 27 villages, the local police today not only sent of its two officials - Inspector Kaptan Singh and SI Lal Singh- to the Police Lines, but also ordered an inquiry into the violence that erupted at Bhambheva village two days ago.

However, the police has not taken any decision on the panchayats’ demand of withdrawing criminal cases registered against a contestant and his supporters .

With the police action, the mahapanchayat has withdrawn its decision of boycotting the repoll.

It had on yesterday warned the police that it would block traffic if action was not taken within 24 hours against two policemen who baton-charged candidate Mahipal Singh and his supporters during the panchayat poll on June 5.

Earlier, a significant number of villagers had gathered at Dighal government school amid tight security to decide the further course of action.

The panchayat, presided over by Jai Singh Nambardar, held deliberations for hours. that Mahipal Singh and his supporters did not disrupt polling, despite the police “deliberately” using the baton on them and later registering criminal cases under various section of the IPC. Later, Jhajjar SSP Sourabh Singh, along with other district administrative officers, reached the meeting place and held a dialogue with the panchayat members.

The panchayat ended its agitation in the evening when the SSP assured of punitive action against Inspector Kaptan Singh and sub- inspector Lal Singh.

Talking to The Tribune, the SSP said the cases registered against Mahipal Singh and his supporters had not been withdrawn so far.

More than 12 persons sustained injuries when supporters of Mahipal Singh, candidate for the post of sarpanch, allegedly tried to caste bogus votes.

Yamunanagar, June 8
After nearly eight years, former IG Mahender Singh Ahlawat, was today booked for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman, assault and criminal intimidation on a complaint of local resident Arvind Kaur.

Arvind Kaur, a resident of Bridgepuri Colony, in her complaint said she met Ahlawat, then the Yamunanagar SP, in his office in 2002 regarding a case of dowry harassment.

She alleged that the SP outraged her modesty and assaulted her. She said she filed a complaint against Ahlawat with the DGP on whose directions a case was registered today.

The SP, Sibash Kabiraj, has constituted a committee comprising the DSP (Headquarters), the Inspector, CIA, and the SHO-City to probe the matter.

Rohtak, June 8
The Vice Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) has expelled three students for abusing and physically assaulting (ragging) two junior students.

The action has been initiated by VC RP Hooda under statute-39 of the MDU Act on the recommendations of the Proctorial Board which conducted an inquery into the incident that took place on May 30.

Aman Redhu, Surinder Bishnoi and Anil Dalal, eighth semester students of the five-year MBA course of the Institute of Management Science and Research (IMSAR) had earlier been suspended on ragging charges.

Following a complaint by the victims, the Proctorial Board of the university was asked to hold a probe. It submitted its report after which these students were debarred from joining any course in the university.

Further, their entry into the university campus was banned. This is, perhaps, the first instance when students of MDU have been expelled on charges of ragging. It may be recalled that the government has instructed strict implementation of rules to check growing incidents of ragging in educational institutions.

The university had expelled three students on charges of molestation on May 19. Somvir of the Department of Laws, Ashish Nandal (AIJHM

College, Rohtak) and Ravi Prakash of (BA-distance education) were found guilty of molesting two girl students of the Law Department.

They were debarred from taking admission in any course of the university or its affiliated institutions.

Sirsa, June 8
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia, who is also the Chancellor of Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa, has appointed Dr ML Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jhambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar as the Vice-Chancellor of the CDLU, Sirsa.

He will also discharge the duties of office of the Vice-Chancellor of the CDLU, Sirsa, in addition to his present duties till further orders, said an official press note. Dr Ranga will arrive in the university tomorrow at 11 am and will address a meeting of chairpersons and deans of all teaching departments as well as branch officers of the non-teaching departments, said a university source.

The post of Vice-Chancellor is lying vacant in the university since its past incumbent Dr KC Bhardwaj’s superannuation in January this year.

The Commissioner, Hisar Division, BS Malik, was given additional charge of the post after Dr Bhardwaj’s retirement.

Ambala, June 8
Chief Postmaster General, Haryana Circle, Indu Gupta today launched the Logistic Post Service in Haryana Circle here today.

Talking to The Tribune, she said the new facility had been launched on the Ambala-Delhi route touching Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat.

The Department of Posts planned to extend the facility on the Delhi-Faridabad-Gurgaon route soon, she added.

Indu Gupta said the service was designed to cater to people’s needs for sending goods, parcels and consignments.

It managed the entire logistics infrastructure, from collection to distribution and from storage to carriage.

She said under this service, the consignment would be picked up from the house of the customer and delivered to the destination on the same day of booking.

The Logistic Post Service is already available in some parts of the country like the Vijaywada-Guntur-Gudur-Chennai route and the Vijayawada-Hyderabad route. The tariff would be based on the weight, volume and the distance, she said. Indu Gupta also introduced another money order service.

She said “MO Videsh” was a unique service offered by the department. Through this service an Indian citizen could send money in cash out of the country and also receive cash from 65 countries in the world.

According to her, this service would be available in all head post offices, including Ambala GPO, Ambala City, Yamunanagar, Faridabad, Narnaul, Hisar, Sirsa, Karnal, Panipat, Jind, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh and Sonepat.

Gurgaon, June 8
A local Congress leader was shot dead by unidentified men in his car at a busy crossing here on Monday night. Raj Kumar, alias Dharmpal, also a businessman, who was travelling in his Ford Endeavour car, reached the Sector 4-7 crossing in this suburban town adjacent to the national Capital.

At around 10 pm, Raj Kumar reached the crossing in his car. He was stopped by bikers, who asked him to come out of the car. As soon as he came out, the men shot him. — IANS

Fatehabad, June 8
The police today arrested the two cops accused of torturing a youth in the Nagpur police post in this district last week. Bhal Singh, in charge of the police post, and Mohinder Singh, a head constable posted there, were earlier booked when Ninder, a local youth, alleged that he was picked up from his residence and subjected to the third-degree torture.

The youth is still lying on his hospital bed in the local general hospital and is not able to walk.

Jind, June 8
Two persons, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the kidnap and gang rape of a woman here about eight months ago. Eleven persons, including three women, had been named as accused in the FIR in the case.

The victim, a resident of a colony across the Julana rail line, had alleged that she was abducted by four persons, including a woman, on November 17 last and taken in a car to a room near the city where she was raped by four youths. She was later taken to Kaithal and Sirsa and raped again. — TNS