Chandigarh, January 5
Jai Bhagwan did not live long enough to see the Haryana Government settle his claims. In fact, the “state first acted in an illegal manner, and then relied upon that illegality to deny the workman his claim”.

It has now earned the wrath of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for acting in an “unfair manner”. Miffed over the state’s attitude, the High Court has passed strictures on the government and saddled it with costs of Rs 10,000.

Taking up the petition filed by Simla and other petitioners, Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “This is rather an unfortunate case of a daily labourer working in the PWD (B &R), Haryana, Jai Bhagwan, who was engaged during March 1990 and whose service was terminated in November 1996.

“Jai Bhagwan sought reference of the dispute and the same was referred to the industrial tribunal-cum-labour court, Panipat, on February 3, 1997. The labour court decided the reference in Jai Bhagwan’s favour on September 5, 2002.

“This award was challenged by the state. While issuing notice, this court stayed the payment of back wages to the workman. During the pendency, the petitioner-state reinstated the workman on June 8, 2005”.The workman, thereafter, filed an application claiming wages for the period he was not taken back in service, despite the order.

Initially it was declined, but Sonepat Additional District Judge directed a payment of Rs 73922.25 within three months, following which the state moved the court.

Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “ In between, the unfortunate workman breathed his last fighting for payment of his due wages. The state, therefore, is pursuing the petition against his legal heirs - wife and three sons.

Dismissing the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh ruled: “Being a model employer, the state is seen acting in an unfair manner…. The state is not even taking into consideration the fact that the workman died while seeking payment of his claim….

“Since the poor workman had not only been denied his rightful due, but his legal representatives have been made to fight and struggle without justification to get it, the petition deserves to be dismissed with costs of 10,000 to be paid to the legal representatives.

New Delhi, January 5
The Supreme Court today rejected the plea of Sant Rampal Dass, who once ran the Satlok Ashram in Karontha village, for shifting the trial against him from Rohtak to Delhi.

The Haryana police had arrested Sant Rampal after his followers opened fire on a group of people from 27 villages on July 12, 2006, killing one person and injuring 51. The victims were seeking the closure of the ashram. The sant and a number of his followers are facing trial under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting) and 148 (illegal possession of fire arms).

The police had found firearms in a raid conducted on the ashram following the incident. The properties of the ashram were subsequently attached. Sant Rampal had sought the transfer of the trial citing security concerns.Rejecting the plea, the Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma pointed out that the accused was facing charges under several Sections of the IPC.

The Bench directed the trial court to complete the proceedings expeditiously without unnecessary adjournments. The apex court also ordered that the prosecution and the accused must cooperate so that the trial could be concluded as early as possible. Chief Minister BS Hooda had announced Rs 5 lakh for the kin of Sonu of Baghpur village who was killed in the firing and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured. 

Chandigarh, January 5
Farmers are not reaping the benefits of what they are sowing, apparently. In nothing less than a scam, colonisers are allegedly joining hands with revenue officers to deny the farmers full sale proceeds of the land they are selling.

In fact, the builders are getting sale deeds executed without passing the sale consideration. In some cases, the cheques used for making payments have bounced.

Taking judicial cognisance of the malady afflicting the farmers, already suffering from debt and shrinking landholdings, Justice Ranjit Singh has ruled: “An important aspect is to see how this illegality has been permitted to take place”.

The assertion came on a petition filed by Ramkishan and two other Sonepat residents. The petitioners had alleged “large-scale fraud by real estate companies in connivance with revenue officials”.

The facts, as narrated in the petition, disclose a very alarming state of affairs. It appears that the farmers are being cheated with the active connivance of the revenue staff.

“A builder has been able to execute a sale deed without passing the sale consideration. In some cases, a part of the sale consideration paid through cheques has resulted in another litigation as the cheques have bounced.

“Primarily, it is the responsibility of the revenue authorities to execute a sale deed only once the sale consideration has either been passed on (to the landowner) or is paid before the revenue officer in a satisfactory manner.

“Obviously, post-dated cheques, which were passed on as valid consideration, could not have been admitted, if the revenue officers concerned had exercised their functions in a legal and proper manner. The result is that the farmers are likely to be deprived of their properties without the payment of sale consideration,” Justice Ranjit Singh ruled.

Issuing notice of motion to the state and other respondents, including the builder, Justice Ranjit Singh asked the Sonepat Superintendent of Police to remain present in court.

“It is made clear that dispossession of the petitioners shall remain stayed. The Deputy Commissioner concerned is directed to ensure that the possession of the petitioners’ land is not taken in any illegal or other manner till further orders”.

Faridabad, January 5
Selling goods to the government at inflated prices is hardly a new practice and rarely are the culprits caught. But a public spirited senior citizen here has exposed how the Education Department paid six times more than what he had paid for jute mats meant for students.

Students sit on jute mats at Government School, Etmadpur, in Faridabad. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed

Finding that students were forced to sit on the naked floor in the primary section of a government school at Etmadpur, Kewal Krishna Khanna donated jute mats which he bought at the rate of Rs 10 per square ft in October, 2009.

Barely a month later, on a visit to the school, he was shocked to find that the Education Department had supplied jute mats for the principal’s office at the rate of Rs 59 per square ft. The ‘challan’ was lying on the table and that is how he learnt about the much higher price paid by the government.

The department had procured the mats from Faridabad Central Cooperative Consumer Stores Limited, popularly known as Super Bazar, which is a government agency.

Curiosity prompted Khanna to visit the Super Bazar, where he was told that the coop stores did not sell jute mats but supplied these to the government. If he wanted to buy jute mats, he was advised to approach a dealer, the only one to sell jute mats in Faridabad. When Khanna, who had purchased the mats from the same shop, went back and inquired about the prices, he was asked if he would be supplying the material to the Education Department.

There were clearly two sets of prices, one for individual buyers and a higher one for the bulk purchase made by the government, Khanna pointed out. “There are reasons to believe that middlemen are making money at the cost of the public exchequer,” he said.

Although the senior citizen has sent several communications to the Haryana State Vigilance and the Education Department, government agencies seem reluctant to delve into the issue.

Showing this correspondent a stack of papers relating to the correspondence he has had with various departments, Khanna said the replies had been vague and non-commital, giving the impression that the officials did not want unravel the truth.

In a letter to the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary dated August 30, 2010, Khanna wrote: “It is with deep pain, anguish and frustration that I am writing this note to you, almost as a last resort, since I am told the buck stops at your table.”

In the letter he has given details about the procurement by the Education Department and the Super Bazar. He is still waiting for a reply.

Chandigarh, January 5
Is the Congress waiting for “auspicious” alignment of stars before taking crucial decisions? Sources in the Haryana Congress maintain that the central leadership is waiting for the “mal maas” (bad month) to end before effecting an organisational reshuffle.

The “inauspicious” period ends on January 15 after which the party will take up the task of re-allotting states to its general secretaries. This is of particular interest to Haryana since it has been “headless” since the coronation of previous general secretary Prithvi Raj Chavan as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. That done, the state unit of the Congress hopes that the decision on its president will also be put on the fast track. A decision on whether or not to replace Phool Chand Mullana will be taken once the party high command appoints a general secretary for Haryana affairs. Senior leaders maintain that with the party deciding on a fixed term of five years for the post, the decision could well go in favour of Mullana who has completed a term of four years. “nevertheless, a number of leaders are in the race and trying their luck by lobbying hard with the central leadership,” remarked a Congress man.

Meanwhile, the Congress in the state has decided to put on hold various initiatives till January 15. This includes allotment of days to ministers for meeting the public and the workers at the party office in Chandigarh as also the holding of the Pradesh Congress Committee meeting.

“While the stars are not right for new intitiatives, the inclement weather, too, is a deterrent. We will seek time from the Chief Minister and decide on the date of the PCC meeting, usually held in the first month of the year, more as an informal exercise for apprising the Congress leaders and workers of the party programme for the New Year,” said working president Kuldeep Sharma.

On the challenge for a debate on development by the INLD, Sharma, said the party was ready for it. “We accept the challenge. We will discuss development and other issues that concern the common man. Debate or no debate, everybody knows who is what,” Sharma added.

Fatehabad, January 5
Though the census operations are to begin on February 9, the training of officials, primarily enumerators and supervisors, has begun already.

Several officials have been sending medical certificates, many of these fake, to evade the task of collecting data, moving house to house.

Addressing a meeting of officials during a training session, Deputy Commissioner Vijay Singh Dahiya warned that all those submitting a medical certificate would have to undergo examination by a medical board.

Only then would they be sanctioned leave. He said participation in the training programme was necessary and those absent would be dealt with under the Census Act .

Chandigarh, January 5
Miffed at the failure of Haryana to rein in khap panchayats, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the state to specify if a policy was in place to deal with its activities. The High Court also directed the state to place on record such a policy, if in existence.

As a bunch of petitions filed in public interest for initiating action against khap panchayats for holding court and allegedly taking decisions against the law of the land came up for hearing this morning, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih asked the state counsel to elaborate on the policy behind their functioning. The observations were made orally and cannot be construed as expression of final opinion by the Bench on the merit of the case.

The observations came, as the steps initiated by the state government to tackle the issue did not apparently satisfy the Bench. At the very onset of hearing on the petitions filed by advocates HC Arora and Navkiran Singh, the Bench questioned the state counsel on the action initiated in the matter.

Replying to the query, the state counsel said cases had been registered against the erring khap panchayat members. Also, the process was on to generate awareness and educate the people on the issue. Instructions had been issued to the deputy commissioners in this regard.

On the issue of speedy trial in the Ved Parkash murder case, the state said 31 witnesses had been identified for recording of statement and the statements of 16 already recorded. Five witnesses had turned hostile and the statements of 10 witnesses were yet to be recorded. The case was to come up on January 18 before the trial court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jind.

The Bench agreed that educating the people could go a long way in changing the mindset, but asked the state counsel to specify the steps initiated by the state which could prove a deterrent.

Sirsa, January 5
To check drunken driving, the authorities have decided to set up check points in the district, the first one near Bajekan village on the national highway.

Addressing a seminar on road safety at the local Panchayat Bhawan here today, Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan said a breathalyser would be used at these checkpoints to determine the intake of liquor by the drivers.

He said most accidents occurred due to drunken driving, use of cell phones while during and overloading.

The DC urged the people to adhere to road safety rules to minimise accidents. He said more parking areas would be developed and steps taken to make driving safer in the town. Daljit Singh, SHO, Traffic, gave tips on safe driving. Sant Lal Pachar, District Transport Officer, and Lajpat Rai, GM, Haryana Roadways, also spoke.

Bhiwani, January 5
Demanding the transfer of the Principal, lecturers of the local Rajiv Gandhi Government Women College, under the leadership of the state president of the Government College Teachers Association, today locked the main gate of the college and staged a dharna.

Lecturers of another local government college also came out in support of the agitating lecturers and passed a resolution seeking the transfer of Principal Satbir Singh Hooda.

The lecturers, including women staff, have accused the Principal of misbehaving with them and using derogatory language with the staff members.

The lecturers had earlier sent complaints to the Education Minister and the Chief Minister seeking immediate transfer of the Principal. They met the DC yesterday and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

The agitating lecturers, led by Rajender Kumar Bhanwaria, were adamant on their demand and said they would not allow the college to be opened till the Principal was transferred. Later, all lecturers sat on an indefinite dharna.

Rajender Kumar said all government colleges in the state would join the agitation if the government failed to act on their demand.

Principal Satbir Singh Hooda, who was present in the college when the lecturers were holding a protest, later told the media, “I had no intention to insult anyone and if I have used harsh words against any of my colleagues, I take back my words.” 

Khanpur Kalan (Sonepat), January 5
A 17-member delegation from St Catherine University, USA, arrived at Bhagat Phool Singh Women University here today. The delegation comprising three faculty members and 14 students is here to study the ancient ayurvedic system of medicine.

The team, led by Dr Anderson Sathe, director of Holistic Health Studies, and two other faculty members, Dr Geisler from Holistic Health Studies and Dr Miller from spiritual mission of the university, was welcomed by the Vice Chancellor, Dr Pankaj Mittal, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Balbir Kaur and Registrar Shimla.

The Vice Chancellor apprised the visitors about the history of the country and its contribution to science, technology and medicine. Dr Balbir Kaur highlighted the importance of Ayurveda and yoga in the Indian context.

The delegation visited the Institute of Ayurveda, where they saw various treatment procedures in panchkarma. This was followed by presentations about the genesis of the university and about the basic concepts of Ayurveda. Dr Ranjip Dass made a presentation on principal procedures of panchkarma and Dr PK Paliwal on importance of diet, sleep and celibacy according to Ayurveda and the need of yoga.

Karnal, January 5
There was no relief for people of Karnal from the biting cold today as the maximum temperature, which had dipped to its lowest in 10 years at 10.2°C yesterday, rose insignificantly to 10.6°C today as chilly winds and foggy conditions prevailed in the region.

Neelam Pradeep Kasani, Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, has changed the school timings. She said the schools would start at 10 am and close at 3 pm. She has directed the District Education Officer to ensure that the instructions were followed by all schools. However, the cold wave conditions and fog have brought cheer to farmers, who feel the weather is beneficial for the wheat crop.

Panchkula, January 5
Irked over the decision of Jagdish Singh Jhinda, president of the Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (ad hoc), to hold “path” of Sukhmani Sahib tomorrow, the district unit of the SAD (Badal) held an emergency meeting at Gurdwara Nada Sahib here today.

According to sources, the district unit of the SAD (Badal), under the leadership of Kulbir Kaur and Sukhdev Singh, president and general secretary, respectively, of the district unit, held an emergency meeting of office-bearers of various blocks in the district to take stock of the situation arising out of the new development.

The sources said the party decided to alert party workers to thwart any attempt by Jhinda to forcibly take control of the gurdwara.

The sources said the SGPC had posted about 200 personnel of the task force to prevent Jhinda and his men from indulging in “anti-Panthic activities” at the historical gurdwara.

Meanwhile, the district administration has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in the area and has made elaborate security arrangements by putting up barricades around the gurdwara, besides beefing up security in the area.

Panipat, January 5
Alarmed by the increasing number of cases of power theft in the district, the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) has decided to constitute six special teams to detect cases of power theft in this industrial hub of the state.

The decision to constitute the teams, which will conduct raids to check industrial and non-domestic connections in the first phase, was taken during a meeting of the nigam that was held here today under the chairmanship of Managing Director Arun Kumar.

During the meeting, which was convened to oversee the working of the nigam in the Panipat circle, it was observed that there was a possibility of bringing down the loss percentage for which extensive checking was necessary.

Arun Kumar said the teams would collect the information regarding load, details of infrastructure installed by the nigam for power supply, variation in electricity units consumed and compare it with units supplied before conducting surprise checks at the suspected consumer premises.