Jind, January 4
A young couple reportedly committed suicide by jumping before a train near Baroda village in the district this morning following opposition to their marriage by their families as they belonged to the same gotra and the same village.

The couple belonged to Sajuma village in the district and had eloped a few days ago to escape the “onslaught” of their families and the police. The police recovered the bodies of the couple from a railway track near Baroda village in the district this morning.

Belonging to the same gotra (sub-caste), the couple, identified as Ishwar (21) and Reena (17), had allegedly fled from their homes on December 29 with an intention to marry.

While Ishwar used to work as a labourer, Reena, residing in his neighbourhood, used to do household chores. They were reportedly having an affair for the past few months. However, for fear of “backlash” from their families and local residents, both of them decided to elope and get married elsewhere, said police sources.

The girl’s parents had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Ishwar had abducted Reena, who was a minor.

“The police had launched a search for them. The couple perhaps failed to find any shelter or help due to the fact that they had a ‘brother-sister relation’ and could not marry as per social norms,” said a local resident.

“Fearing that they may be killed for honour, they perhaps considered suicide a better option,” he added.

According to Pappu, father of the girl, Reena had been missing for the past few days and had taken some valuables, including golden earrings, and cash along with her.

He said since Ishwar was also missing along with his daughter , he had lodged a complaint with the police.

He said the boy was like a brother to Reena and any alliance between the two was unacceptable to the family and society. Besides, Reena was also a minor.

The bodies were identified from the names tattooed on their hands. The mobile phone of the boy was lying nearby.

The bodies were found lying in a manner that indicated that they had committed suicide, claimed a railway police official.

The police said it was still not clear whether the couple had married or not though they had been together for some days.

Kin of the couple, including the father of the boy as well as the girl, reached the spot this morning to identify the bodies.

Sirsa, January 4
Om Prakash Chautala, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, today dared Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for an open debate on his claims of development during the Congress regime. Chautala was addressing mediapersons here at his residence today.

Reacting to Hooda’s claims during the “Badhte Kadam” rally that his government had spent much more money on development of the entire state in general and Sirsa district in particular, Chautala said that Chief Minister’s claim was a “bundle of lies.”

“I invite Hooda for an open debate on the issue of development in the presence of the media and let the people know the veracity of his claims,” Chautala said.

Addressing a rally here on December 25, the Chief Minister had earlier claimed that his government spent Rs 2196.32 crore on the development of Sirsa in the six years he has been in power, while the INLD, he claimed, had spent only Rs 789.34 crore during its six years in power from 1999 to 2005.

The INLD supremo alleged that the Chief Minister had always shied away from a debate with him, whether in the state Assembly or outside it. He alleged that the MLAs of his party were expelled from the House on the very first day of Assembly sessions to avoid inconvenience to the government.

Chautala predicted the fall of the UPA government at the Centre in the Budget session of Parliament.

He alleged that the UPA government had wasted several crores of the public exchequer by not agreeing to a JPC probe into the 2-G spectrum scam and keeping Parliament stalled on the issue.

Flaying the Hooda government for its land acquisition policy, Chautala alleged that land-related irregularities were much bigger in Haryana than the Adarsh Society scam in Mumbai.

Kurukshetra, January 4
A large number of devotees beat the biting chill and took a holy dip in the sacred Brahm Sarovar and the Sannihit Sarovar here today on the occasion of the first partial solar eclipse of the year. However, the number of devotees was far less as compared to previous years. The partial solar eclipse started at 3.02 pm and ended at 4.02 pm. The maximum shadow was just 6 per cent at 3.32 pm.

About 4 lakh pilgrims were expected to take the holy dip in the sarovars, but the number was quite less, though elaborate arrangements were made by the administration. Blowing of conches, chanting of mantras, recital of bhajans and other rituals rent the air. Faith and religious fervour was at its best as devotees offered alms to the poor and fed them after taking the holy dip.

The eclipse passed off peacefully without any untoward incident and the devotees had enough time to take bath without any hassle. All pilgrims were insured for Rs 1 lakh by the administration and the town was divided into 10 sectors with one duty magistrate looking after the affairs in each sector.

Arrangements for chlorination of water, uninterrupted water and power supply, proper sanitation and healthcare was taken by the administration and motor boats and safety jackets were kept in place to meet any exigency.

The district administration had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 and holiday was declared under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instrument Act.

A holy dip in the Sannihit Sarovar and Brahm Sarovar during the solar eclipse is said have bliss of performing thousand Ashawamedha Yajnas.

Karnal, January 4
A local court today convicted former Haryana minister Jay Prakash Gupta in a cheque-bounce case and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. A fine of Rs 5,000 was also imposed on him.

The court also asked Gupta to pay Rs 1.5 crore to Confed, the amount calculated after payment of interest on the principal amount of Rs 85 lakh.

However, the court granted him bail on a security bond of Rs 50,000 on the bail application moved by the accused. Gupta can now file an appeal in the sessions court against the judgment of the lower court.

The Confed had file a case against firm Hari Ram Paras Ram, owned by former excise and taxation minister Jay Prakash Gupta, for not fulfilling the agreement for rice milling. Gupta’s firm was supposed to supply 1,641 metric tonnes to Confed, but did not supply 845 metric tonnes worth Rs 85 lakh. Consequently, Gupta gave a cheque of Rs 85 lakh to Confed.

The cheque bounced and Confed filed a case in the court. Judge Hem Raj Verma found him guilty and announced the sentence today.

Chandigarh, January 4
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that it is for the state to decide whether a course is equivalent to a degree. The courts cannot act as expert bodies on the issue of recognition or equivalence.

Justice Ranjit Singh also refused to interfere with the state of Haryana’s decision against recognising “Hindi Shikshan Parangat”.

The ruling came on a petition by Neena Devi and other petitioners, after the state government appointed guest teachers in accordance with instructions dated November 29, 2005. The petitioners had applied, but were not considered as their qualification, Hindi Shikshan Parangat, was not recognised.

In an attempt to substantiate their contentions, the petitioners referred to the instructions issued by the Government of India on November 25, 2003, “vide which this court equated the degree, Hindi Shikshan Parangat, with BT/BEd”.

Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The petitioners have filed this writ petition with the prayer that the action of the respondent- state in not recognising the qualification possessed by the petitioners would be unjustified. It is pleaded that the degree possessed by the petitioner be recognised in view of the instructions issued by the Central Government”.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Ranjit Singh ruled: A clarification was sought by the department from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, about this qualification....

“The action of the state in seeking the opinion of a university for recognising a particular degree obtained from outside the state cannot be found with any fault. Even if the National Council for Teacher Education grants recognition to a particular course, still there can be no objection taken to the action of the state in seeking the opinion of a university, so far as, equivalence of the degree is concerned....

“Whether that course is equivalent to the degree or what would be the requirement in a particular state, is the decision which is to be made by the state. The court cannot act as an expert body and the matter of recognition or equivalence is required to be left to the opinion of the expert bodies. Therefore, I am not inclined to interfere in exercise of the writ jurisdiction. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed”.

Chandigarh, January 4
Haryana is all set to make its students computer literate and technology savvy with the Education Department giving the go-ahead for setting up computer labs in its secondary and senior secondary schools.

The idea of imparting computer education in the 3200-odd government schools is to provide the students one such level of skill that will ensure employment once they complete their senior secondary level of education.

Besides, through these labs the department wants to establish connectivity between the schools and the head office to be able to monitor the teachers’ attendance and also that of children. The department also intends to introduce e-content in education to enable better understanding of the curriculum which may end up as a non-strater without the labs.

Under this information communication and technology project, approved by the government for the forthcoming academic session, 20 monitors will be provided in each school, to be used on a sharing basis by the children.

While students from classes VI to X will be given lessons in basic computer functioning, students of classes XI and XII will be given specialised training which will prepare them for a computer-related job if they choose to go in for a job.

The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, School Education, Surina Rajan, said the labs had been set up in nearly 1,500 schools and the department would be ready with the labs in all schools before this term ended.

“These will not only provide better connectivity between the schools and the head office as far as exchange of information is concerned but also enable the department to monitor schools which are not delivering the desired results. Through computer education, we will at least be able to ensure that every student leaving our school does so with a skill that will help him get a job,” she says.

The scheme, a part of a Government of India project on computer education for schoolchildren, will only partly be funded by the state government.

Sirsa, January 4
Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan today ordered the closure of all primary schools in the district for January 5 and 6 due to the cold wave prevailing in the district.

The orders will also be applicable to the private primary schools. The orders said the students of primary classes would not come to their schools, though there would be no holidays for the teachers. The schools will close for their winter vacation from January 7 as per the orders of the state government.

BHIWANI: In the wake of cold wave conditions, the DC announced a two-day holiday in all government and non-government schools. According to the order, all schools would remain closed on January 5 and 6. The officials have been asked to ensure compliance of the orders. — OC

Bhiwani, January 4
Unhappy over the style of functioning of the Principal of the local Rajiv Gandhi Women’s College, lecturers of the college today submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner here, seeking stern action against him.

Fifteen of the 16 lecturers of the college reached the mini-secretariat here and handed over the memorandum to the DC. They alleged that the principal used indecent language and threatened others, claiming close to the powers that be. Women lecturers alleged that the principal generally used derogatory language.

The delegation said they had sent a memorandum to the CM, saying that the teaching faculty was finding it difficult to work under the principal.

The delegation alleged that the Principal implemented directions of only one out of the 16 lecturers. Lecturers were even threatened with wrong annual confidential report (ACR).

Demanding transfer of the principal, lecturers warned of launching an agitation if no action was taken in this regard.

Principal Satbir Singh Hooda said: “Since I have been writing against the attitude and teaching style of some of the lecturers to the department, they have now adopted a non-cooperative attitude in the college.”

He added that he had always sent proper ACR of all lecturers despite their non-cooperative attitude. The protesting teachers also did not go to classroom on time. 

Chandigarh, January 4
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has approved Rs 15.30 crore under the special package for the flood-affected areas for civic bodies of Bhiwani, Kaithal and Sonepat districts.

An official spokesman said here today that under the special package for the flood-affected area scheme, Rs 40 crore had been earmarked during the current financial year. He said Rs 9.9 crore had been released for the Municipal Council, Bhiwani, for the construction of roads and to streamline the drainage system. He said Rs 5 crore had also been released under the scheme for repair of municipal roads of Dadri town. Apart from this, Rs 1.8 crore had been released for the Municipal Committee, Buwani Khera, for repair of roads.

He said Rs 55 lakh had been released for Gannaur town for disposal of wastewater and to construct a park. Similarly, Rs 50 lakh had been released for the repair of roads and sewage lines of Pundri town in Kaithal district and Rs 25 lakh had also been released for the construction of a park near drain No 8 in Gohana.