Chandigarh, November 6
Thanks but no thanks seems to be the prevailing sentiment among Congressmen of Bhiwani over Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharambir Singh’s “unwarranted interference” in the district’s affairs.

Senior leaders of the party from the district and from Hisar are learnt to have jointly complained against “outsider” Dharambir Singh to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for meddling too much in the preparations for the “dhanyavad rally”. The rally is being organised by the “guardians” of JBT teachers to thank the government for recruiting a substantial number of teachers from Bhiwani.

To be addressed by Hooda, the rally was earlier slated for November 13. However, with local leaders taking offence against the Chief Parliamentary Secretary’s uncalled-for “intrusion”, the Chief Minister was forced to set a new date for the same. The rally is now likely to be held on November 21.

Sources said at a meeting held with the Chief Minister the on Diwali eve in Delhi, Congress leaders, including sitting MLAs of Bhiwani, decried Dharambir Singh’s uninvited proactive approach to be at the front of all rally preparations.

Claiming that the CPS should go and organise a rally in his constituency, Sohna, rather than touring Bhiwani and Hisar exhaustively to mobilise support for the “dhanyavad rally”, the leaders maintained that they were competent to handle the job on hand.

They were particularly peeved with the way the CPS had put up hoardings carrying pictures of the Chief Minister and himself all over the district, inviting the public to participate in large numbers.

Maintaining that the CPS had no business to be in the district, the leaders collectively demanded a change of date of the proposed rally to send out the message that Dharambir Singh was only “overstepping his limits” by holding village meetings and putting up hoardings without any authority.

They claimed that they were unwilling to contribute and participate in a rally that was being “projected” as his individual effort, prompting Hooda to revise the date for the rally.

Another leader is learnt to have pointed out that not many aspirants from his area had made it to the list of “successful candidates”, adding that there was no enthusiasm for the rally.

Denying the allegations, the CPS, however, said his intention was not to cause any trouble in the Bhiwani Congress. “I was requested by the guardians of the JBT teachers, a 21-member body fighting for teachers’ rights, to mobilise support and that’s exactly what I’m doing. The rally was postponed because 13 is not considered lucky and the employees have a rally of their own on November 14. It’s because of this that a new date was announced,” he said.

Gurgaon, November 6
District and Sessions Judge RS Virk has asked the litigants not to get bogged down in the ongoing strike by the local lawyers. Talking to The Tribune, Virk appealed to the litigants to come to the district courts directly and assured them that their versions would be duly heard and considered even without their advocates.

The members of the District Bar Association are on strike for the past three weeks. The Bar has been demanding the withdrawal of a police case against the association president, secretary and another lawyer.

The case had been registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Judicial Magistrate Ankur Lal. In the complaint, Lal had levelled charges of intimidation, insult and making casteist remarks.

Thousands of litigants have been suffering due to the lawyers’ strike even as a number of police personnel have been deployed at the local courts to prevent the occurrence of any untoward incident.

“Nobody will be allowed to defile the premises of the courts, which are temples of justice…maintaining the sanctity of the courts and ensuring smooth functioning thereof are our top priorities,” the Judge asserted.

He maintained that the court work was going on regularly even while the Bar members were abstaining from it. “No cases are being adjourned because of the strike, we are disposing of criminal appeals and deciding other cases on merit,” he said, adding that ex parte decisions were being taken if either of the parties was not present at the time of hearing.

The appeal has come following the Bar association’s move to withdraw even the proxy counsel during the strike period.

On being asked whether the lawyers’ strike was illegal, the Judge observed that he was bound by the rulings of the apex court and other higher courts in this regard.

Interestingly, the Supreme Court as well as the Punjab and Haryana High Court have laid down some clear-cut rulings against striking/stalling the court work.

In Civil Appeal No. 6385 of 2000, a Supreme Court Bench of Justice KT Thomas and Justice RP Sethi stated: “Strikes by the professionals, including the advocates, cannot be equated with strikes undertaken by the industrial workers in accordance with the statutory provisions...Abstaining from the courts by the advocates, by and large, does not only affect the persons belonging to the legal profession but also hampers the process of justice sometimes urgently needed by the consumers of justice, the litigants…With the strike by the lawyers, the process of court intended to secure justice is obstructed which is unwarranted under the provisions of the Advocates Act. Law is no trade and briefs of the litigants not merchandise.”

The apex court further maintained that a court, which imposes costs on a litigant for the failure of his advocate to appear in court, also has the power to permit such litigant to realise the costs from his advocate.

The ruling even maintained that inaction by courts (for contributing to strikes by sympathising with the Bar) might result in contempt of the Supreme Court.

“When the advocate engaged by a party is on strike, there is no obligation on the part of the court either to wait or to adjourn the case on that account. Time and again, the Supreme Court has said an advocate has no right to stall the court proceedings on the ground that advocates have decided to strike or boycott the courts…” it adds.

In Rajinder Singh vs Union of India case (on 16/2/1993), the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also ruled that “the Judges are supposed to train themselves to decide cases by studying the pleas and the law on the subject even if unaided either by the parties or by their counsel...There is no legal impediment in the way of the court not to deliver justice when lawyers abstain from appearing in court or they appear but refuse to assist the court in the administration of justice.

Chandigarh, November 6
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that it is not against grant of compassionate appointment or allowance to legal heir of non-regular government employee. In fact, the legal heir of a deceased employee can get the benefits even if the employee has not completed three years of regular service, the Bench indicated.

The assertion by the Division Bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rajan Gupta came on an appeal filed by the state of Haryana through Commissioner and secretary in the Department of Transport against a deceased employee’s son Sunil Kumar.

His father, working with Haryana Roadways at Jind, died in July 1997. After his father’s death, Sunil applied for appointment on compassionate grounds. But, he could not be offered a post due to non-availability of vacancies.

He was then offered financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh in terms of the policy in force. But, it was later recalled on the ground that his father had not completed three years of regular service. Allowing his writ petition, a single judge directed the payment of Rs 2.5 lakh to Sunil. Aggrieved by the order, the state filed an appeal before the Division Bench.

Taking up the matter, the Division Bench asserted: “Any scheme of compassionate appointment, as may be framed by an employer being a beneficial scheme having a definite social object must be interpreted in a manner consistent with the object that is sought to be achieved.”

Referring to the rules, the Bench asserted that while “a government employee on whose death compassionate appointment or allowance can be claimed, has to be a regular employee, there will be no justification to read the requirement in the same manner, namely, that three years of service contemplated by the sub-rule must be after regularisation”.

Interpreting the rules, the Bench added: “While the deceased employee must be a regular employee, service rendered to the state in any capacity prior to his death will entitle the legal heirs to compassionate appointment or allowance, in our considered view, will further the object behind the scheme of compassionate appointment in the present case.”

“In view of the above, we do not find any merit in this letters patent appeal to warrant admission of the same. Appeal is accordingly dismissed.”

Jhajjar, November 6
The 11-day-long relay fast being observed by State Teachers Eligibility Test (STET)-qualified candidates under the aegis of the Patra Adhyapak Sangh in front of the residence of Education and Health Minister Geeta Bhukkal here came to an end yesterday.

They said now they would stage a demonstration under the next step of their campaign.

As many as 11 STET-qualified candidates were observing fast daily since October 25 to mount pressure on the state government to meet their demands.

They were demanding appointment of all STET-qualified candidates as regular teachers in government schools prior to March 2011 by removing all guest teachers posted there without further delay, completion of the interview process of teachers and lecturers at the earliest after enhancing the number of advertised posts.

During the agitation, the candidates were also invited by Bhukkal to discuss their demands, but the meeting could not be held due to the adamant attitude of the candidates wishing to get assurance from the minister.

Interestingly, to attract the attention of the government, the candidates also adopted the formula of “Gandhigiri” on the day of Diwali by sweeping the Baraf Khana road passing in front of the minister’s house. However, they decided to end the relay fast in the evening.

Jind, November 6
Farmers in the district must sow the wheat crop by November 20 or face additional costs resulting in overall losses. This is the advisory issued by the officials of the Agriculture Department here to farmers who had been busy harvesting paddy in the region.

A total of 1.30 lakh metric tones of paddy has been procured in the district so far. The procurement is likely to continue till the last week of this month.

“While the excess rainfall has decreased the overall production of paddy this season, farmers are perhaps concerned about the issue of sowing Rabi crops like wheat for which the sowing season has nearly arrived,” claimed an official of the department.

The department has now advised the farmers to be alert and take all measures to ensure that they sow the early varieties of the wheat crop by November 20 if they wanted to avail the benefit of double cropping.

According to Deputy Director AR Godara, farmers must finish the work by the above stated date or they might face losses, which could be reduction in production up to 6 kg of wheat per acre at the time of harvest.

Claiming that early sowing may result in bountiful production, late sowing could lead to downfall due to various factors, including sudden rise in day temperatures at the time when the crop required coolness and humidity.

Wheat crop is likely to be sown over 2 lakh hectares in the district. The department has pressed into service a mobile van to create awareness and guide the farmers regarding sowing of Rabi crops and selection of seeds to ensure good production.

The team comprising experts would inform the farmers about the proper use of fertilisers and pesticides besides tips on preparing the land for such crops, said Godara. He, however, added that the cotton production in the district this year had been much better over the recent past with a procurement of 93,126 quintals of crop in mandis of the district.

He said while BT cotton crop had been sowed in 96 per cent of the land this year, the department had conducted several programmes to help farmers about proper care of the crop. The farmer field school concept had helped in bringing down the indiscriminate use of pesticides and medicines by farmers this season, he added.

Jind, November 6
The district administration has announced to set up special teams in rural areas to check defecation in the open and to promote the use of properly built toilets in all villages.

There are over 300 villages and a majority of the population reportedly defecates in the open.

Inspection-cum-patrol teams have been set up in several villages, which will check the ongoing practice and create a mass awareness among people in this regard.

Additional Deputy Commissioner J Ganeshan, who is also the chief executive officer of the District Rural Development Agency here, said here recently that as part of the total sanitation programme, the department had set up a special committee at the village-level that would oversee the implementation of the drive.

These committees had been provided with necessary kits, including caps, torches and whistles, so that all members could take up the work of patrolling in the area allotted.

Claiming that though the programme have been going on for the past some time, there was a need to implement it properly as many villagers had not been able to change their habit, which, he said, had been creating hurdles in the success of the sanitation campaign.

The authorities concerned had been claiming success in successfully implementing the total sanitation campaign and awarded prizes in certain categories in the recent past, but the fact was that the scenario had failed to undergo any sea change in this regard, claimed sources in the department.

Meanwhile, the department has claimed that as many as 44,175 toilets have been constructed under the drive in rural areas so far against a target of 58,000.

The works on over 400 such facilities have been going on. A total amount of Rs 6.58 crore has been spent so far. The department provides a subsidy to certain categories for construction of toilets in their houses in villages.

Sirsa, November 6
Malnutrition and anaemia among children and women are matters of great concern for the policy-makers in the country.

Over 40 per cent of children and 36 per cent of adult women are classified as undernourished in the country.

These facts have been mentioned in this year’s “Annual Report to the People on Health” published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in September 2010.

The report delves into these factors in the chapter “Social Determinants for Health” and adds that the reasons for such high levels of malnutrition and anaemia are complex.

The reasons include poverty, gender inequality, specific dietary patterns and recurrent illness, all these acting in conjunction.

The report suggests that keeping girls in school till they complete adolescence could be one of the most effective health measures.

The Health Department does promote correct infant and young child feeding practices, including exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and micronutrient supplementation, especially iron and folic acid tablets for children and pregnant women, Vitamin A supplementation and promotion of the use of iodised salt, adds the report.

Exploring the social determinants for health, the report says that nutrition, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and education are the three most important proximate determinants of health status that have an impact on both infectious disease and vital health statistics.

All these three are closely related to poverty and marginalisation, the report adds.

Unhealthy lifestyle, tobacco, alcohol and other substance abuse underlie much of the non-communicable disease epidemics we face.

In addition marginalisation and discrimination on account of gender and caste are social determinants themselves.

Rohtak, November 6
The recent hike in the floor rates of the land to be acquired from the farmers in the state had been long due and it was not just any favour to the farmers. The state government had been aware of the fallouts of the land acquired from the agriculturists and the hike had been done keeping in view all pros and cons and not done in any haste.

This was stated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today. In a statement issued after giving audience to the local residents at the canal rest house, Hooda claimed that the hike had been done to provide the compensation needed by the farmers in the wake of rising inflation.

He asked if there was the need of acquiring the land for infrastructure development, then why should the farmer be sufferer or denied the due when other sectors had been taking the benefits in various forms. Denying the charges levelled by some of the opposition leaders that the announcement of hike in land acquisition rates had been politically motivated, the CM said those criticising the decision were perhaps against the interests of the farmers.

He said the governments do not force anyone to give up the land in the name of development, but it was the policy of his government to acquire only that part of the land that was not fertile or had been extremely necessary for providing the basic infrastructural needs of the residents. He said it was perhaps for the first time in the history of the country that the farmers or land owners have been assured an annual return (royality) from the land acquired for about 33 years, besides the handsome rates per acre. The farmers accepting the collector rate will also be given a 20 per cent additional payment in the form of ‘no litigation fee’, he said. — TNS

Panipat, November 6
To register their protest against propagation of term saffron terrorism and inclusion of name of senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Indresh Kumar in the case related to Ajmer blasts, Sangh’s state unit would hold a dharna at the local Ram Lal Chowk.

Stating this here today, Sangh’s state secretary Srikrishan said terms like saffron terrorism and Hindu terrorism were being circulated in the country even as none of the Hindu organisations were indulged in any such activities. He said till date there was nothing to establish that Hindu outfits were spreading terrorism and any such move had provoked widespread resentment amongst the masses.

He said the Sangh was holding similar protests across the country to voice its concern over the ‘half truths’ being spread by the government machinery to mislead the general public. He said the Sangh was only working to further the sense of nationalism amongst the masses and it was unfortunate that the name of one of its senior workers had been included in the Ajmer blast case.

Sirsa, November 6
Two persons were killed and a child was injured when the tractor they were travelling in on was hit by a goods train at an unmanned railway crossing near Bhangu village here yesterday.

The incident occurred when farmer Prahlad Singh (40) was returning from his fields with his son Jasandeep (12) and labourer Darshan Singh (20).

Prahlad could not assess the speed of the approaching goods train and tried to cross the unmanned railway crossing on his tractor.

However, the train hit their tractor, crushing it into pieces. Prahlad Singh died on the spot, while Darshan Singh succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. Jasandeep has fractured his leg and is being treated in Sirsa.

Sonepat: Amit Sharma (23), the only son of a widow, died on the spot after he was run over by a speeding truck near Khewra village on the Sonepat-Baghpat road on Thursday night.

The incident took place when Amit, who used to work in a private company in Panipat, was returning to his hometown Jagriti Vihar in Meerut from Panipat on his motorcycle to celebrate Diwali.

JHAJJAR: A cyclist was killed after being hit by a motorcycle near Hanuman Kaanta at Modern Industrial Area (MIA) in Bahadurgarh town here on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Ram Chander Gupta of Uttam Nagar locality. The incident took place when Ram Chander was on his way back home.

Sirsa, November 6
Justice Alok Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently inspected the district jail.

Justice Alok Singh, who is the inspecting judge of the High Court for Sirsa district, also met inmates to know their problems.

He also issued some instructions to Jail Superintendent JS Sethi for the welfare of the inmates.

District and Sessions Judge Shiva Sharma and Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan also accompanied the Judge. — TNS

Rewari, November 6
A woman identified as Maneeta Devi (28) was killed while her husband Jai Singh, father-in-law Ram Phal and his younger brother Balbir Singh sustained grievous injuries in an armed attack made on them by members of a rival faction headed by Surat Singh at Buroli village, 15 km from here, today.

The seriously injured have been referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak. A senior police official said construction of an encroaching boundary wall in their fields by the Ram Phal faction had infuriated the Surat Singh faction, whose members violently assaulted Ram Phal and others. Meanwhile, the Khol police has registered a case of murder against Surat Singh and 15 others. — OC

Kaithal, November 6
The police has arrested two persons, who had allegedly entered into a conspiracy to fraudulently dispose of land acquired for the Police Lines here.

They had entered into an agreement to sell the land to a local person and took Rs 15.80 lakh as earnest money. The arrested accused were produced in a local court that granted a day’s police remand to recover the amount of the proposed transaction.

SP Simardeep Singh told mediapersons here on Tuesday that Azad Singh, a local resident, in a written complaint said Joginder Singh of Deaban village, presently living in Rajindra Colony, and Kuldip of Sector 19, HUDA, here, showed him a piece of 3 kanals on the Kurukshetra road here and told him that they wanted to sell the land which was free from any encumbrance.

The deal for this was settled at Rs 4,325 per square yard and Azad gave Rs 15.80 lakh to the sellers as advance and September 15 was fixed as the date of registration of the sale deed.

Later, Azad came to know that this land had already been acquired by the government for construction of the Police Lines and he was cheated. The complainant was allegedly threatened of dire consequences when he insisted for return of his earnest money.