Chandigarh, September 3
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) members created a ruckus on the first day of the monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly today, immediately after Speaker HS Chatha finished making formal announcements during zero hour.

The INLD members walked into the well of the House, protesting against the decision of Chatha to convert the adjournment motion moved by them on the recent floods into a call attention motion and club it with a similar motion moved by former Finance Minister Sampat Singh and certain other MLAs to be taken up on September 6.

Despite repeated pleas of the Speaker, the members refused to budge, raising slogans against the ruling party. For some time BJP Legislature Party leader Anil Vij also joined them.

However, when his three colleagues did not follow him, he returned to his seat. All four BJP legislators then stood up and continued to raise slogans against the government and the Speaker’s decision.

There was a brief exchange of hot words between Chatha and Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala, who wanted immediate admission of the INLD’s adjournment motion. Chatha told Chautala his decision to convert the adjournment motion into the call attention motion was final. Chautala accused Chatha of being biased in favour of the ruling party. Denying the allegation, Chatha pointed out how he had earlier pulled up senior Congress MLA Anita Yadav for interrupting Opposition members or speaking without his permission. But Chautala was unrelenting.

All this while, the senior Chautala and his eldest son Ajay Singh remained in their seats. But his younger son Abhey Singh did troop into the well. Soon he stepped back and allowed his other colleagues to occupy the front row.

Finding the INLD members adamant on disrupting the House proceedings, Chatha rushed through the agenda and adjourned the House for September 6. Earlier, the BJP staged a walkout when the government did not agree to Vij’s demand for giving development grant to each MLA for his constituency.

Vij was supported by the INLD.

Chandigarh, September 3
Haryana ministers are spoilt for choice, which explains why they haven’t made up their minds on which official car they want.

After nearly four months of picking and rejecting, the choice seems to have fallen on the stylish Nissan X-Trail, that seems to have outraced the Nissan Teana and Mitsubishi Montero that had caught the fancy of the VIPs earlier. Sources said a “selection committee” of a group of ministers had zeroed in on the SUV costing around Rs 22 lakh because it seemed to “fit the bill”, meeting the specific requirement of higher ground clearance while being within “reasonable budget limits”.

While the Toyota Camary provided to the ministers has a ground clearance of nearly 130 mm, the Teana and Monetro have 145 mm and 225 mm ground clearance, respectively.

The X-Trail, not as expensive as the Monetero, has been found to have a “good enough” ground clearance of 200 mm.

The ministers had demanded new cars on the plea that the Camary was not suited for travel into the countryside since it did not have adequate ground clearance. Sources maintain that the X Trail has got the go-ahead of the “selection committee” and the choice will now be forwarded to the Chief Minister for final approval.

If all goes well, the ministers of the Haryana Cabinet may get the new cars before the end of the first year of the second term of the Congress government (October). Sources say the finance department would put up a proposal for buying 12 X Trails for the Chief Minister, six Cabinet Ministers and three Ministers of State, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

The “selection committee” had initially decided to go in for Teana which had to be dropped because of its inadequate ground clearance.

The proposal for the Montero, costing a whooping Rs 37 lakh, for the Chief Minister and his cabinet ministers was turned down by the government top brass which did not want to seem “discriminating” against Ministers of State, all Independents. The formidable cost of the Montero was another deterrent.

Meanwhile, the proposal to buy Toyota Fortuner for the nine Chief Parliamentary Secretaries has been shelved for the time being, especially since no demand has been received from them. Sources maintain that the Hyundai Sonatas allocated to them are in good shape and need not be replaced.

Fatehabad, September 3
Yet another young couple who married against the wishes of their families was given police protection today. The couple fears harm from the girl’s family.

The Tohana police station provided protection to the couple on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Mukesh Sharma (24), a resident of Tohana’s Bhuna Road, and Kiranjit Kaur (19), also

from the town, had run away on August 12 and got married in an Arya Samaj temple in Delhi.

They had appeared before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 18 where they sought protection. Said SHO Madan Lal: “ In compliance with the High Court orders, the Tohana police station has provided security to the couple.”

Mukesh told mediapersons: “Though my family members have no objection to our marriage now, the family of Kiranjit Kaur is still unhappy over the alliance.” He said they feared physical harm at the hands of his wife’s family. Mukesh is looking for a job. Kiranjit is still studying. The police tried to bring about a compromise between the two families, but in vain.

Karnal, September 3
The Akhil Bharatiya Jat Mahasabha today went on an indefinite fast, seeking that the Jats be included in the OBC list and that the Hindu Marriage Act be amended to ban same gotra marriages.

Mahasabha leaders presented a memorandum to the government through the tehsildar and cautioned that the Jats would be compelled to intensify the agitation if the demands were not met.

They maintained Jats were primarily dependent on agriculture which was prone to natural calamities like floods and droughts and, therefore, did not have stable incomes.

Their children did not get admission in good educational institutions as students of public schools dominated the merit list. While there was a quota for other communities, rural students were at a disadvantage, they said.

District president Om Pal said the Justice Gurnam and Verma Committees had recommended reservation for the Jats but the government was delaying a decision on the matter. He said same gotra marriages were opposed by other communities too.

Hisar, September 3
The police today made a major breakthrough in the Mirchpur violence case with the arrest of 23 more accused. A police spokesman said here that 13 of them had been sent to judicial custody after they were produced in a local court. They were Monu, Amit, Dogar, Jeetender, Kuldip, Navin, Pradeep, Satvir, Sandeep, Shamsher, Monu, Vedu and Vikas, he added.

Ten more accused were arrested and they would be produced before a magistrate tomorrow. They were Ramesh, Charan Singh, Kala, Praveer, Tawan, Sandeep, Sandip, Sandeep, Satyavaan and Abhishek.

He said the total number of arrests made in the case was now 85. As many as 130 persons had been named in the FIR.

On April 21, a polio-stricken teenaged girl and her father were burnt alive in the village when a mob of upper caste villagers attacked Dalit houses.

Chandigarh, September 3
Finding fault with the summoning order issued against a retired Army officer in a theft and trespass case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed the order.

Allowing the petition filed by Lt Colonel Prithvi Singh Chauhan (retd) and another petitioner, Justice Daya Chaudhary asserted: “It is clear that the impugned summoning order has been passed without application of mind and without taking into consideration various factors and long litigation between the parties.”

In his petition, Lt Col Chauhan had earlier sought the quashing of complaint and summoning order dated April 21, 2008, passed by an Ambala court, whereby he and another petitioner was summoned under Sections 148, 149, 447, 427, 382 and 506 of the IPC to face trial.

It was alleged that the petitioners took away approximately 9,000 bricks, 22 bags of cement and other construction material. However, counsel for the petitioners contended that a detailed investigation by the police found that the incident never took place.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Chaudhary asserted: “Lt Col Chauhan and a respondent are brothers-in-law. Lt Col Chauhan is brother of the respondent’s wife. There is a dispute regarding the ownership of 88 kanals and 15 marlas situated in the revenue estate of Kambas village, Barara tehsil, Ambala district.

“Civil, revenue and criminal proceedings were initiated with regard to that very land and FIR number six dated January 12, 2005, was registered on the basis of complaint made by the respondent against the petitioners and others. The police investigated the matter. Naraingarh DSP conducted the inquiry and found the case to be falsely registered against the petitioners.

“Thereafter, the Ambala SP ordered the Barara police station SHO to conduct an investigation, who found the allegations false and reported that no such occurrence had taken place.

“On April 24, 2005, the police submitted a cancellation report and thereafter a complaint/protest petition was filed against the cancellation report before the JMIC, Ambala Cantt, which was allowed and the impugned summoning order was issued holding that a prima facie case was made out.”

Justice Chaudhary concluded: “The petition is allowed and the complaint/protest petition filed by the respondent as well as the summoning order are quashed.

Sirsa, September 3
Gross misuse and alleged siphoning off funds under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has come to the fore in the district.

The funds under the NRHM are supposed to be spent on improving access to quality health care for people residing in rural areas, the poor, women and children. However, the health authorities here have spent a major share of the funds on residences of senior doctors.

Money has also been shown to be spent on checking the problem of leakage and seepage in the general hospital and the civil surgeon’s office, though the problem continues to exist. A bucket full of water welcomes visitors to the civil surgeon’s office.

SDM Satish Kumar Jain, who conducted an inquiry into the allegations today, found large-scale irregularities and misuse of funds.

“I will furnish a detailed report to the Deputy Commissioner later, but will give a preliminary report on the gross irregularities found by me today,” said Jain.

He said virtually no work appears to have been done for removing the problem of leakage, though several lakhs have been shown spent on it.

DC CG Rajini Kaanthan had recently asked the SDM to probe the matter after the civil surgeon and the officers of the Public Health Department squabbled over the pathetic sanitary conditions of the general hospital and the civil surgeon’s office.

The Public Health authorities complained that the civil surgeon, Dr OP Hooda, had withheld their payments, while Dr Hooda in turn complained of “very poor quality of work.”

Dr OP Hooda had refused to make some balance payments of the Public Health Department after noticing irregularities in the work and returned the balance funds lying with the department to the government.

The health authorities, according to sources, had received Rs 50 lakh as grant under the NRHM in 2008-09 and the authorities “spent” the money on repairs and renovations, including plugging of seepage and leakage of water in the general hospital.

A note “for repairs of the general hospital, Sirsa, and residential quarters” had been written on almost every other bill placed in the files.

The authorities showed the expenditure in a very vague manner in their account books, where no clear head had been defined against the expenditures made.

“The funds were utilised for these purposes by my predecessors and as per the norms the money could not have been used for repairs or renovations of the residential quarters,” Dr Hooda said.

TC Gupta, Executive Engineer of the Public Health Department, was on leave. However, he said his department had taken works of about Rs 19 lakh only and the rest had been taken by some other agencies.

Panchkula, September 3
The district administration in its reply to the IG, Prisons, Chandigarh, denied parole to former DGP SPS Rathore here this evening.

According to sources, Deputy Commissioner Ashima Brar has categorically stated that she did not see any reason to recommend parole to Rathore on the grounds sought by the former DGP.

The DC, quoting a survey undertaken by her revenue officials, has mentioned in her report that there was no cultivation being undertaken on the land of the former DGP.

She further observed that this was not the sowing season and, hence, parole for Rathore could not be recommended.

Former Haryana DGP Rathore, who is serving a 18-month term in the Burail jail of Chandigarh in the Ruchika Gilhotra molestation case, had applied for a 15-day parole to plant barley on his agriculture land.

However, Anand Prakash, who has been fighting the case against the former DGP, objected to the parole, saying he saw threat to his family and the Girhotras.

Superintendent of Police Maneesh Chaudhry, in his report, had held said there was no threat to either party as adequate security had been provided to the Rathores and the Girhotras.

Panipat, September 3
The district administration has constituted a special team to undertake restoration work at the ancestral house of celebrated Urdu poet and social reformer Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali. The haveli has been in a shambles for the past several years.

Deputy Commissioner JS Ahlawat, who convened a special meeting of district officials, said appropriate measures would be initiated to preserve the historical structure.The special team would work in co-ordination with the PWD to restore the haveli.

The DC said the education department had already allocated Rs 1 lakh for repairing the 150-year-old building.

Hali’s emphasis on Islamic reform and women empowerment inspired many around the world and a large number of people feel associated with the poet and his legacy.

A few years back, the government had announced preserving Hali’s legacy in Panipat, where the poet spent his last days of life, and raising Hali Memorial Library and Hali Park in his memory.

Later, it was decided to open a girls’ school in the premises of his haveli. Last year an elementary school was started there with a student strength of 50.

The Deputy Commissioner said the administration would leave no stone unturned to solve any problems being faced by the people. 

Faridabad, September 3
The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad today washed its hands of the issue of taking action against encroachers on land owned by the Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA) near Sainik Colony here on the ground that it has no jurisdication in the matter.

Commissioner Mahtab Singh said the land did not belong to the civic body. Hence,it had no jurisdiction in the matter. The civic body would bring the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned, he said. The issue came to the fore yesterday when a large number of encroachers blocked the road connecting Sainik Colony with Badkhal, demanding that the colony set up by them on the land be regularised.

They relented only when a senior officer of the civic body assured them that the Minister for Urban Local Bodies, would meet them on the issue on September 8. The minister represents the Badkhal assembly constituency.

His residence is in Sainik Colony. The municipal authorities have already prepared a case for regularising the colonies falling in the area under its jurisdiction.

According to sources, the authorities are in a fix as regularising the colony would open a can of worms and set a dangerous precedent.

Gurgaon, September 3
As part of preparations for the Commonwealth Games, a camping site has been readied at Dundahera village in the district. Thirty tents have been erected for providing board and lodging facilities to the visitors during the Games. All tents are air-conditioned and each one has an attached bathroom.

The camping site at Dundahera has been named “Dhanchiri Camp” and is located near the Delhi-Gurgaon toll plaza.

The Dhanchiri Camp, developed on about 50 acres at Dundahera village, also has the facility of a dining-cum-bar hall. The flooring of the tents is cemented and these are connected with a cemented path. Golf cars will be made available to the tourists for reaching their tents from the main entrance.

Nearly 50 such tents are to be erected at Dundahera and about 70 at Surajkund in Faridabad district. Funds have been provided by the Union Ministry of Tourism, while the Haryana Tourism is developing the sites, which can be used by the tourists in lieu of hotel rooms.

A provision of bar counter and a stage for cultural events has also been made in the open at the Dhanchiri Camp. A silent genset has been installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the event of power failure. A hot air balloon with basket will also be there for the entertainment of the visitors. The visiting tourists can have an overview of the area by having a joyride on the balloon.

A team of officials, comprising Haryana Tourism Managing Director SM Roy, Gurgaon Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Khullar, Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria and project officer Mukesh Rao inspected the site yesterday.

After inspecting the site, the officials said the present entrance to the camp was on the Delhi side of the toll plaza, which might be a problem for the visitors coming from the Gurgaon side as they would have to cross the toll plaza every time to reach the site.

So, they decided that an entry should be made available on the Gurgaon side as well. Directions were given on the spot and the construction of a road was also taken up immediately.

Rohtak, September 3
The local police has nabbed eight persons on the charge of gambling and recovered Rs 3,63,800 from their possession. It has also seized a revolver and two cartridges from the accused.

The raid was conducted under a special drive launched by the police under the supervision of the IG, Rohtak range.

According to IG V Kamaraja, the raid was conducted following a tip off that gambling was on at a house in Gandhi Nagar locality here.

The arrested have been identified as Rajender, Krishan, Prem Singh, Rakesh, Hemant Kumar, Parvinder, Sunil and Balbir Singh. However, two others managed to flee from the spot.