Bhanu (Panchkula), October 24
Lauding the role of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) personnel for rendering yeoman service to the nation by protecting borders as well as ensuring internal security and rendering aid in times of natural calamities, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that ITBP jawans were a symbol of courage, discipline, ability and patriotism.

He was speaking at the 49th Raising Day parade of the force at its Basic Training Centre here.

The ITBP Director-General, RK Bhatia, said the force had acquired modern weapons, digital satellite phones, terminal sets, hand grenades and training simulators. The measures taken to upgrade its weaponry, training, communications and infrastructure were in line with the modernisation policy and would prepare the force to meet the growing challenges.

Bhatia said the ITBP jawans were posted in the snow- covered hilly areas to protect the borders and even in these odd conditions they performed duty in the right earnest.

The ITBP was also deputed to perform other tasks like election duty and internal security. The force also undertook relief and rescue measures during natural calamities, besides organising medical camps. The ITBP personnel had donated Rs 1.75 crore to the Prime Minister Relief Fund for victims of the Leh cloudburst.

Earlier, Hooda reviewed a parade comprising 13 contingents representing all sectors of the ITBP.

He also presented the Police Medal for Gallantry to head constable Anil Kumar, besides five President’s Police Medal for distinguished service and 17 Police Medals for meritorious service to ITBP personnel.

He also gave away trophies to different battalions for excellence in various fields. The Best Battalion Trophy for the year was bagged by the Seventh Battalion.

An impressive display by the ITBP’s brass and pipe bands, horses and the anti-sabotage dog squad from the animal transport wing was also organised on this occasion.

The judo and karate players of the ITBP demonstrated several daring acts.

Chandigarh, October 24
If the first term was dedicated to rolling out innovative initiatives and making please-all announcements for all sections, schoolchildren, pregnant women, the rural poor, sportspersons, senior citizens and farmers, the state government in the last one year seemed more committed to strengthening its delivery mechanism.

Unlike his first year in office in 2005, when Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government started its term with writing off farmers’ arrears of power bills amounting to Rs 1,600 crore, 2009-10 has been a no-big-announcement-year so far. Most departments, including health, education and those handling social sectors, too, have been busy implementing the promises made in the first term.

There is a qualitative shift as the state government seems to have moved on. From going it alone in matters involving hefty investment in infrastructure, it has begun to promote the public-private partnership mode in all key sectors.

The government has expressed its keenness to introduce the model in education, health and the PWD to begin with. Even as modalities are being worked out, the health sector has taken a few steps forward.

The department, for example, has introduced the Indira Bal Swasthya Yojna to conduct health camps for children up to the age of 18 and to provide follow-up treatment. Besides initiating a campaign for eye donation, the government’s referral ambulance service (phone number 102) for below poverty line (BPL) families and pregnant women and its commitment to provide emergency medical services free of cost have earned accolades.

In education, unlike the first term when special scholarships and incentives were given to students, especially girls and children of BPL families and those from Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes to bring them to school, this time the focus is to plug the gap created by shortage of teachers.

The state government has announced its intention to create a separate cadre for English teachers while guest teachers have been replaced with teachers on contract. Also, the government plans to introduce computer education in a big way. As many as 36 educationally backward blocks have been identified for new schools and the state has submitted a project to the Government of India for support in creating additional infrastructure, providing additional staff and strengthening teachers’ training.

While the government’s land acquisition policy has earned applause from the Congress high command, the government has announced its intent to improve upon the existing policy and to come out with an all-new industrial policy shortly.

Sources in the government maintain that strengthening the schemes on the ground form this term form part of a conscious decision of the state leadership.

The emphasis is to ensure that benefits reach the people they are meant for.

With ‘implementation’ at the core of its agenda, the government has essentially spent the first year fine-tuning the delivery system and disbursal of everything from old-age pnsions to providing water tanks and drinking water access to BPL families. Once that is done, they claim, the government has a lot more up its sleeve to show that it’s a government that works and works differently. — TNS

Hisar, October 24
“Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records”. This quote by American inspirational writer William Arthur Ward best describes what drove Haryana’s sportspersons to win 15 gold medals out of India ’s tally of 38 golds at the Commonwealth Games.

Yes, adversity back home and the desire to turn their lives around are the two common elements in the lives and success tales of Haryana’s sportspersons. It was adversity at home that drove Beijing Olympics bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh to don the gloves in the hope of finding a government job.

He is the son of a Haryana Roadways bus driver. It was adversity in his backyard that inspired wrestler Sushil Kumar’s tryst with destiny. It was the trauma of a broken home and desertion by his father that took shooter Harpreet Singh to the victory stand at the Games.

Ironically, adversity is also the reason why the countryside in Haryana is fast emerging as a sports powerhouse. What is propelling this sporting revolution is the carrot of a good career dangled before them by the Hooda government.

While other aspects of Haryana’s new sports policy will take a few more years to bear fruit, the prize money and police jobs have encouraged sports activity in the state.

Vijender Singh’s coach Jagdish Singh said: “More than their love for sport, it is the hope of employment that drives youth from Bhiwani to don the gloves. They all come from poor families with no future. During the past few years, at least 250 boxers from Bhiwani have landed jobs with the state government, the Railways and other central organisations after doing well in national competitions.

“In 2008 they saw Vijender Singh becoming a national hero and a rich one at that. Now he is their role model. They all want to excel in their sport for that will ensure a career for them”.

Sukhdev Singh, a volleyball coach said: “Today, three per cent of government jobs are reserved for sportspersons and rural youth see an opportunity in this.They know their hard work in the field will bring them big money and a secure career. The boys and girls never had it so good.”

Lack of money and non-existent sporting facilities are the two other elements common to the medal-winning feats of Haryana’s sportspersons. They prefer traditional sports like boxing and wrestling, mainly because these are the poor man’s sports.

Mahabir Singh, whose two daughters Geeta and Babita won medals in wrestling at the CWG said: “All you require for wrestling is a pit and for boxing a pair of gloves.That is what our sons and daughters can afford. Buying a cricket kit is unthinkable for us.”

Despite government’s efforts, sports infrastructure in Haryana is still inadequate. If Bhiwani is producing boxers, the credit goes to the Bhiwani Boxing Club which is a makeshift boxing arena. A single hand pump is its only source of water for the 1,000-odd boys who practice there twice a day for hours together.

Despite having a rich history of promoting wrestling, most Haryana wrestlers have to shift base to Delhi. There are over 100 akharas in Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat, all run by former wrestlers. Hundreds of aspiring wrestlers practice there everyday.

But most Haryana wrestlers hoping to make it big prefer to train at the Chhatarsal Akhara run by former wrestler Satpal. The state lacks the infrastructure required for producing world class wrestlers.

Geeta’s comments to the media after her victory at the CWG summed it up all. “I do not even have a wrestling mat. We sisters still practice in the pits dug by our father,” she had said.

If Haryana’s Harpreet Singh bagged gold at the CWG, it was because of the facilities he could get after he joined the Indian Navy. Haryana has no infrastructure for shooting. There is not a single shooting range in Haryana, now known as India ’s Sporting Capital.

“Had there been no Navy angle to my life, I would not have won a medal. I used to try my hands at shooting at fairs and fetes and scored well. But my talent was recognised by the Navy,” he said.

Referring to his home state, Harpreet Singh said Haryana had immense talent but shooting was an expensive game and a standard shooting range was a pre-requisite. “I would urge the state government to start shooting clubs in all districts so that more people come forward and reach a level of excellence,” he said.

Harpreet plans to set up a shooting academy in Karnal, his home town after he retires.

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that water conservation was topmost on the government agenda during its second term in office and urged the newly elected representatives of zila parishads and municipalities to extend help in creating awareness on the issue.

Hooda was speaking at a programme organised with the chairmen and vice-chairmen of zila parishads, municipalities and block samitis at his residence here. After accomplishing the mission of increasing power generation, the government had now shifted focus to conserving water and its judicious use.

The Chief Minister urged the newly elected members to act as a link between the government and the public so as to get the grievances of the people redressed promptly. The Chief Minister said the state had made significant progress in all spheres of development in the past five years with several new initiatives. — TNS

Chandigarh, October 24
It’s become the single most important talking point for Haryana, the government and the Congress, the performance of the state’s players in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

So much is the euphoria over the medal tally from Haryana that the Congress wants to leave no stone unturned to make its November 1 Sonepat function to honour its medal winners a success.

Keeping in tune with the theme of the programme, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today christened it as “Chak De Haryana-Chak De India”.

Addressing the newly elected district and block president of the party at the Congress office, Hooda urged them to come in droves and mobilise crowds for the function to give a befitting honour to the players.

“While we are excelling in other fields, I’m proud to say that the state has forged ahead to the number one position in sports as well,” he remarked.

Hooda said through this function, the government wanted to prod players to perform better in the Asian Games and Olympics.

He added that the government could make policies and provide infrastructure, but it was the hard work of the players which deserved to be acknowledged.

While acknowledging the progressive policies of the Hooda government, which kept Haryana ahead, MP Ram Prakash said Haryana had earned the notorious reputation of being disdainful towards the girl-child.

“However, the daughters of the same state have reflected the social change by winning medals in the recent games,” he added.

Earlier, state unit chief Phool Chand Mullana said Haryana’s players had made the nation and the state very proud. MP Ashok Tanwar said the players had done their bit by creating history at the Games.

“It is now our turn to create history by mobilising a never-before crowd for the function to raise the morale of our players,” he said. This was seconded by Youth Congress president Chiranjeev Rao.

While the district and block presidents were present in large numbers, barring Geeta Bhukkal, none of the ministers turned up for the meeting, as did very few MLAs.

Tanwar, too, was the only exception among the Lok Sabha MP to have turned up for the meeting though the leadership said a separate meeting for Sonepat, Rohtak and Karnal had already been held.

Rewari, October 24
A bid to procure a bride for his son through a middleman has cost the bridegroom’s father and other members of the family dearly.

The search for a bride for his 26-year-old son Sanjiv Yadav, Ved Prakash Yadav of Hansa Ka village approached an intermediary, Naresh Kumar, of the same village.

Kumar facilitated a meeting between Yadavs and the would-be-bride, Hem Lata, daughter of late Mukesh Kumar, and her brother Sanjay, alias Raju, at Hasanpur village in Palwal district here recently.

As the girl wished to have a court marriage, Ved Yadav’s family brought Hem Lata and Sanjay from Hasanpur to Hansa Ka.

However, owing to the non-availability of Hem Lata’s birth certificate, the marriage could not be registered in the court here on October 18. Sanjay went back to Hasanpur to bring the requisite certificate.

Meanwhile, Hem Lata stayed with Ved’s family at Hansa Ka village. Sources said on October 22, Hem Lata allegedly mixed some unwholesome drug in the milk and gave it to Ved Yadav, his wife Santosh Yadav and his son Sanjiv Yadav. They all became unconscious, following which Hem Lata fled with Rs 60,000 and jewellery.

On October 23, the trio was admitted to the trauma centre here in a semi-conscious state.

When they regained consciousness, the police recorded Ved’s statement and registered a case of causing hurt by means of stupefying drug as well as theft against Hem Lata.

Sirsa, October 24
In a case of honour killing, a local court has sentenced seven persons, four of them brothers, to life imprisonment.

In his orders issued today, District and Sessions Judge Dr Shiv Sharma has directed the convicts to pay Rs 50,000 each as compensation to the family of the victim, Mange Ram, whom they beat to death on December 24, 2008, suspecting that he had illicit ties with the daughter of one of the convicts, Tara Chand.

The victim as well as the convicts hailed from Phoolka village in this district.

Mange Ram (16) was a classmate of the girl. He was found in Tara Chand’s house on the fateful day when the accused beat him to death with lathis.

In his complaint to the police, the victim’s father, Krishan Chand, had alleged that Tara Chand and his three brothers had taken his son away from home on some pretext and attacked him.

When he learnt of the incident, he rushed to Tara Chand's house where he saw his son lying unconscious. He rushed his son to a Hisar hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

In his orders, the judge observed that the facts and circumstances of the case proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the unfortunate Mange Ram had a love affair with Sarita (name changed).

Since he did not belong to the same caste, the girls’ brothers killed him. Sarita belonged to the Jat community and Mange Ram hailed from a Backward Class.

The court found Tara Chand, his brothers Ram Kishan, Ram Lal and Pappu and three other persons, Nathu Ram, Rohtash and Radhey Sham, guilty of murder and sentenced them to imprisonment for life.

The orders directed all seven convicts to pay Rs 50,000 each as compensation to the victim’s family and Rs 10,000 as fine.

Ambala, October 24
A senior leader of the INLD and former MLA Jasbir Mallor has resigned from the primary membership of the party along with his supporters and announced that he would join the BJP on October 28 at Chandigarh in the presence of the state president of the Haryana BJP, Krishan Pal Gurjar, and other senior leaders.

He made this announcement at a meeting of his supporters in the city today.

Mallor was general secretary of the Haryana unit of the INLD a few months back. He also remained state vice- president of the youth wing and district president of the party. He was stated to be a close associate of Ajay Chautala.

A year back, his wife Charanjit Kaur had contested the assembly election on the Shiromani Akali Dal ticket from the Ambala City constituency against Congress and BJP candidates and was defeated.

Although there was a political alliance between the Akali Dal and the INLD in the assembly elections, some of the local INLD leaders did not campaign for Charanjit.

Mallor was inactive in the INLD for past several months and he did not attend meetings of party supremo Om Prakash Chautala. Even then he was not expelled from the party. It is learnt that his entry into the BJP was finalised through state BJP chief Gurjar, who consulted party high command leader Sushma Swaraj before giving the green signal. — OC