Chandigarh, August 10
The Haryana Cabinet which met today approved toll tax on four roads, reduced VAT on compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) by over 7 per cent and exempted clubs from payment of entertainment duty on admission or other sports fee charged from sportspersons.

The Cabinet decided to grant Group-A status to government college lecturers in the pay band-3 (Rs 15600-39100) with the grade pay of Rs 7000.

More Cabinet decisions n Haryana State Disaster Management Rules, 2010, okayed n E-post facto approval to appointment of commission of inquiry into circumstances leading to Mirchpur violence in Hisar on April 21 n The entry-level qualification for recruitment of JBT teachers amended from BA to plus two and Hindi/Sanskrit up to matric or more, provided they have cleared the eligibility test n Amendment to Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, to enable the merger of more than one municipality to form a corporation n Next assembly session on September 3

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the government had decided to impose toll tax on four roads: Samalkha to Hathwala Road, Murthal-Nandnaur-Basodi- Palri Road, GT Road to Bega and Ferozepur Zhirka-Biwan road up to the Rajasthan border.

The toll tax would vary from Rs 20 to Rs 225 per trip for vehicles with more than 10 tyres. However, defence vehicles, non-commercial vehicles of state governments and the Government of India, police vehicles, fire fighting vehicles, ambulances, funeral vans, two-wheelers, jeeps other than maxi cabs, cars, tractors and tractor-trailers for agriculture purposes had been exempted from payment of toll tax.

Stating that the Cabinet had given its nod to reducing VAT on CNG and PNG from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent, he said amendments in the Punjab Passengers and Goods Taxation Rules, 1952, had been approved to facilitate implementation of a new composite fee regime for national permit.

Under the new scheme of single national permit fee, a consolidated composite fee of Rs 15,000 per truck per annum had to be deposited for operations throughout the India.

The consolidated fee deposited in the National Permit account would be distributed by the Central Government among states and Union Territories on a pro-rata basis.

To further promote sports, the Chief Minister said clubs would be exempted from payment of entertainment duty on admission or other sports fee charged from sportspersons with immediate effect.

As of now, entertainment duty at a rate of 25 per cent is being levied on clubs in Haryana under the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act, 1955.

This exemption was only for sportspersons. Keeping in view the demand of teachers and their status in neighbouring states, Group-A status had been granted to government college lecturers

Gurgaon, August 10
The Haryana government has come under sharp criticism for the recent move of leasing out big chunks of prime public land in Gurgaon to a private party at rates much lower than the prevailing market price.

The plots, located in Sector 29 and Sector 52 of Gurgaon, have been leased out for the development of amusement parks.

A joint front of local residents’ welfare associations had alleged that the land deals had caused losses to the tune of Rs 2,950 crore to the state exchequer.

Interestingly, while the RWAs had written to the state Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and get the land deals cancelled, state Opposition parties - the INLD as well as the BJP - have accused the state government of being involved in the “land scam”.

Terming the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in the state as a “land-mafia regime”, INLD secretary-general Ajay Singh Chautala has maintained that their party would launch a legal battle to get the “shady” land deals of the Hooda regime annulled.

“So many controversial land deals coming to light clearly vindicate our stance that the Hooda government is a regime of property dealers,” he said, adding that even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also pointed out at the nexus between the state leadership and builders.

Talking to The Tribune today, Ajay Chautala alleged that the Hooda regime eyed prime property in the National Capital Region (NCR), especially Gurgaon, and its single-point agenda was to grab farmers’ land in collusion with unscrupulous builders and colonisers.

“Our party will not let it happen at any cost and will employ all possible democratic and legal means to put an end to these evil designs,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the BJP has also lambasted the state government for giving away prime public land at throwaway prices.

Addressing a press conference here last evening, Haryana BJP president Krishan Pal Gurjar said their party would expose the wrongdoings of the Congress regime in the state by getting relevant information under the RTI Act.

Coming down heavily on the Haryana government for its “shady” land deals, Gurjar said the entire state Cabinet should resign on moral and ethical grounds.

Chandigarh, August 10
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has virtually admonished medical officers in Jhajjar district for apparently running away from their duty.

Taking up a petition filed by Gulshan Parkash and other petitioners for quashing orders directing them to perform duties at all primary health centres on a 24x7 basis, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The real cause apparently is that doctors would now be required to remain present at the place of posting, which earlier, as generally understood, they were able to avoid….

“The reason why the doctors have been asked to maintain headquarters at the place of posting is to ensure that they are made to attend to outdoor patients at odd hours and are available on call so as to render emergency healthcare. The government had found that the doctors were not maintaining headquarters, and instead commuting to PHCs/community health centres from very long distances. The doctors, however, were showing themselves to be residing at PHCs and CHCs. “This was leading to denial of proper health care to the patients due to non-availability of doctors and the government was also burdened with the cost of paying house rent allowance, being falsely claimed.

“The cause raised in the petition is not only unjustified but totally uncalled for…. The petitioners are seen running away not only from their respective duties but from a social obligation for which they are expected to volunteer. They should realise that they are expected and required to serve the suffering humanity, which needs them.

“The petitioners cannot be expected to shirk their responsibilities. Rather, it can be expected from doctors that they will voluntarily perform such services for the sake of humanity at large needing this service in rural areas and in small towns. “This petition seems to be aimed at avoiding duty by doctors and cannot be appreciated. A doctor providing useful service to rural areas cannot be expected to shirk responsibilities, which appears to be the cause in the present writ petition”.

Chandigarh, August 10
Haryana is male-dominated is beyond doubt. But that the men will assert dominance over their women in full public view is quite another matter. That probably explains why at the ceremony to induct new members at the office of the Haryana Congress, two of the three entrants, both women, gave the function a miss.

Instead, they were represented by male members of the family who didn’t think the presence of the women was “required” With usual flourish, the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) president, Phool Chand Mullana, announced the names of three members of the Jind Zila Parishad; Madan Kumar, Bina Rani and Anita Devi.

He welcomed the three into the party fold by presenting the Congress flag.

"With their induction, the number of Congress members of the Jind Zila Parishad has gone up to 12 in the 24-member body.

While two members are yet to make up their mind, the remaining 10 owe allegiance to Opposition parties So, we can be assured that the Zila Parishad chairman will belong to our party," he said. To a question on the absence of the women members, Mullana said that it was a “family affair”. Asked why Bina Rani wasn't present, Deswal said she was busy with the children.

"Joining the Congress is a family decision. When the head of the family has joined the Congress, it implies that she too has become a member of the party," he explained, insisting that her presence was not required.

Jaibhagwan had similar views. "She came before the start of the function and left to eat food. Anyway, I am the leader. “She had to contest the seat only because it was a reserved seat. “I'm the one who will run the show in the ward," he said.

The Congress leaders seemed at ease with the husbands and other male relatives standing in for the two women.

That’s women empowerment indeed!

Chandigarh, August 10
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that another airport was needed near Delhi. T o a question on Haryana’s proposal for an international airport while speaking to mediapersons, Hooda said efforts to get an international airport in Haryana were on since the government’s first term in office. To another question on the demand for a separate High Court in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said: “I am fighting for it and will keep fighting till I succeed.”

About the Metro Rail Project, he said the government was making efforts for bringing the Metro to Kudli in Sonepat. On taming the Ghaggar to prevent floods, he said in case Punjab agreed, “we are ready to construct dams.”

He clarified that the state was not opposing the GST.

Gurgaon, August 10
The elections for the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Gurgaon Zila Parishad were held at the meeting hall of the mini-secretariat here today.

Kavita Yadav of Ward No. 7 was elected chairperson of the Zila Parishad, while Bijender from Ward No.1 was elected vice-chairperson.

The election was held peacefully through a secret ballot. The post of the Gurgaon Zila Parishad chairperson was reserved for women candidates this year and in a house of 10 members, six were women.

The chairperson as well as the vice-chairman were elected through voting among the elected members. All 10 members participated in the voting held in the presence of Joint Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Gurgaon (MCG) Narender Singh Yadav, who was also the assistant returning officer for the Zila Parishad elections.

There were two contenders for the post of chairperson. While Kavita Yadav, elected member from Ward No. 7, got nine, her rival Asha Chauhan, member from Ward No. 4, got only one vote.

In the election for the post of vice-chairman, there were again two candidates. Bijender of Ward No.1 won the contest by four votes, defeating his opponent Usha Devi of Ward No. 2 by three votes.

The Zila Parishad elections were held on July 6. Of the 10 elected members, six were women. Though only four wards had been reserved for women candidates, six women got elected to the Zila Parishad.

Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria greeted the elected members of the Zila Parishad and asked them to work for the development of the district honestly. On the demand of the elected members, Kataria announced that a training programme would be conducted for the new members for making them aware about their rights and duties.

The newly elected ZP chairperson, Kavita Yadav, said she would focus on ensuring girls’ education and curbing female foeticide. Vice-chairman Bijender assured that all elected members would work with honesty and support the chairperson. 

Sirsa, August 10
Over 250 saplings were planted to mark vanamahotsava observed at the CMK National Postgraduate College for Women here today.

Kunal Bhadoo, son-in-law of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who runs an NGO, Navyug Nirman, planted the saplings with his team of volunteers.

Navyug Nirman has been active in the field of environment protection and had planted 51,000 saplings last year.

Speaking on this occasion, Bhadoo said environment was a burning issue that needed the attention of all.

Highlighting the importance of planting trees, he said global warming and deforestation were endangering our eco-system.

He said rapid industrialisation and population explosion had led to diminishing of the green forest and their replacement with concrete jungles.

Dr Vijaya Tomar, Principal of the college, said her college organised vanamahotsava every year to plant new saplings on the premises.

RS Sangwan, patron, and Parveen Baghla, president of the Sirsa Education Society that manages the college, were present on the occasion. 

Sirsa, August 10
After the alleged beating up of a power nigam SDO by some villagers and subsequent arrest of an accused, residents of three villages today adopted a tough posture and decided to withdraw their children from schools and anganwaris.

Villagers from Dhigtania, Chouburja and Rangrikhera today blocked traffic and locked the village school and the anganwari in protest against the erratic supply of power to their villages. Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan has called a meeting of both the sides at his camp office tomorrow to sort the issue.

“The police had booked three villagers for manhandling a sub-divisional officer of the DHBVN on July 30 and one of them was arrested. However, the DHBVN authorities have been adopting a vindictive attitude towards all of us,” alleged Rameshwar Bhakar, former sarpanch of the village.

“We are not able to sleep in night as they release power for just 15 minutes and then impose an unscheduled cut. Our children cry throughout the night due to heat, humidity and mosquito bites,” he added.

Villagers Sat Pal, Ram Chander and Om Parkash, all from Dhigtania village, have been booked under Section 332, 353, 186 (causing hurt, assault and obstructing to deter public servant from duty), 323 (voluntary causing hurt) 147, 148 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

SDO Vikas Thakral had lodged a complaint against them. Villagers from Rangri, Choburja and Dhigtana had locked the 33-kV substation at Shahidanawali, alleging erratic supply of power to their villages when the SDO had gone there to listen to their grievances on that day.

The police arrested Sat Pal after the power nigam officials mounted pressure on the authorities, demanding arrest of the accused.

Bhakar maintained that the villagers did not want to shield any accused and added that if someone had attacked an SDO, he should be punished as per the law.

“But the DHBVN authorities do not have the right to punish the whole village for the deed of three villagers,” the former sarpanch maintained.

No senior officer of the DHBVN was available for comments. However, Thakral denied the allegations.

Jind, August 10
Residents of at least three villages in the district locked a power substation and blocked traffic at two separate places here today to highlight their grievances over short supply of power in rural areas.

The protests were lifted after intervention of the officials concerned.

The villagers locked the 33 kV substation at Singhana village following an altercation with the staff posted there.

Claiming that since there had been no supply of electricity from the substation, the villagers said it was of no use and should be locked to tell the department and the state government that such an infrastructure had been rendered useless in view of no power supply to the village.

All chores of villagers had come to a halt due to poor and erratic power supply. This had also led to inadequate water supply, as tubewells were also dependent on power supply, claimed a villager.

He said residents had been left with no other option but to lock the substation when the officials had failed to redress their problem.

Meanwhile, residents of Shahpur village here came out on the main road connecting Jind with Kaithal district and stopped traffic for over an hour. Stating that there had been no power supply in the village, the protesters asked the senior officials of the district and the power department to come and explain their stand.

They claimed that they had been getting just two to three hours of power supply in a day and this had made their life hell.

Sonepat, August 10
A 45-member team of the India-Pakistan Peace Caravan - 2010 led by MH Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by residents of Sonepat at the Hanuman temple here today.

Talking to mediapersons, Gandhi said the caravan commenced its journey from Mumbai on July 27 and would reach the Attari-Wagah border on August 14 to participate in the candlelight programme of veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayar.

A similar caravan from Karachi in Pakistan was on its way to reach the border on August 14, he said, adding that a Peepal tree would be planted at the border after mixing the soil of both the countries.

Faridabad, August 10
The police has failed to make much headway in the case pertaining to the murder of a woman in a hotel room in Suraj Kund yesterday.

However, DCP, NIT, Praveen Mehta said the police suspected the hand of Amit, a resident of Palwal who had posed as the husband of the woman, Neetu Rai, before the hotel staff. The two had posed as a couple at the time of booking a room in the hotel. The man had registered his name as Umesh in the hotel register. The police feels that he deliberately changed his name.

The police and hotel staff had entered the hotel room after repeated knocks at the door and calls made through the intercom services failed to elicit any response. They found the woman lying dead inside the room while her partner was missing. She had been strangled to death with a dupatta.

The two had stayed in the hotel twice in the past four days before the incident.

According to the police, the husband of the victim was out of station. The landlord of the house in Sector 37 where she used to stay with her husband reportedly told the police that she used to work in “one of the Nokia centres” in Faridabad. However, the police has failed to identify the centre.

According to the DCP, Amit used to visit the house of the woman and she had introduced him to her husband as her “boss”.

The police said it would take Amit’s photograph to the hotel staff for identification.

Meanwhile, the police has handed over the body of the victim to her relatives after the postmortem which has confirmed that she was strangled. 

Jhajjar, August 10
A youth was allegedly gunned down by six assailants in Dubaldhan village here today. The deceased identified as Shyam Sunder was a driver by profession.

As the news of Sunder’s death spread in the village, a large numbers of villagers staged a dharna for several hours on the spot in protest against the crime. They also refused to hand over the body to the police till the alleged accused were arrested.

The villagers relented after the DSP assured them that the accused would be nabbed soon. Eleven persons were booked in this connection, but no arrests had been made till the filing of the report.

The incident took place when Sunder of Kirmana Pana of Dubaldhan village had gone out from his house on a motorcycle. A car waylaid him, following which some armed youths allegedly opened several rounds of fire on him from a close range. Sunder reportedly died on the spot while the assailants sped away from the spot.

After hearing the gunshots, villagers rushed to the spot and found Sunder lying dead in a pool of blood. They informed the deceased’s kin and the police about the incident.

Jhajjar SSP Sourabh Singh said the police had registered a case against 11 villagers, including Somveer, Satish, Teenu Kabira, Kaalia, Aman, Shri, Sonu, Shilak, Ram and Bholu, on the complaint of deceased’s father Ishwar Singh. Old enmity is said to be behind the incident. 

Yamunanagar, August 10
A 30-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly beaten up and raped in Mamliwala village here yesterday. The police today registered a case against Parvinder under Sections 376, 323, 452 and 506 of the IPC. The victim alleged that the incident took place when she was alone at home and her husband was away for some domestic work.

The accused entered her house forcibly, beat her up and then raped her. The accused also threatened the victim of dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone. She raised the alarm, but the accused managed to run away after the incident. — TNS