Chandigarh, February 10
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda skipped a Haryana Youth Congress (HYC) function here today at which he was to be the chief guest. The HYC is headed by Chiranjeev Rao, son of Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav. Both have spoken against the land acquisition policy in the state.

Sources said the Chief Minister was to be the chief guest at the launching of the membership drive of the All-India Youth Congress, which was to start from Haryana. The drive had to be postponed “due to certain technicalities” and the function was converted into a “sammelan”. Hooda could not attend the function because of some prior engagement.

The HYC function attracted several prominent leaders, including Union Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development Minister Selja, PWD Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav, Rajya Sabha member Birender Singh, former HYC president Chakravarti Sharma, Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana and party working president Kuldip Sharma.

Selja regretted that corruption had permeated the system at all levels. Surjewala said the HYC should undertake programmes like tree plantation and campaign against female foeticide. Birender Singh had a dig at various speakers, particularly Surjewala, when he said that for programmes like tree plantation one need not be in politics. The Youth Congress, he said, should force senior leaders like him to join hands against corruption.

Birender Singh, who was repeatedly applauded by the HYC activists, said INLD leader OP Chautala should surrender all the money he had earned through dubious means. Coming down heavily on the BJP, the Rajya Sabha member said while the Congress had taken action against its men suspected to be corrupt, the saffron party had gone all out to protect the Karnataka Chief Minister against whom corruption charges had been proved.

Mullana said the HYC should also educate the people on various policies of the state government like the land acquisition policy. It was obvious he was referring to the criticism of the policy by minister Yadav and his son. After a long time, the HYC put up a good show. 

Chandigarh, February 10
Haryana has decided to increase the town density for the optimum utilisation of land. This was stated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while speaking at the inaugural function of the 59th National Town and Country Planners’ Congress held at Panchkula here today. He said there could not be any urban development without the primary resource of land.

“Because of the unprecedented urbanisation, land in Haryana has come under tremendous pressure. Just as urbanisation and industrialisation are essential for the development of our economy, agriculture and the interests of land owners are equally important for us. We have to strike a balance. Accordingly, our land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation policy has been carefully conceived. We have taken care of the concerns of land owners so that they do not feel cheated while parting away with their land,” he added. He said the planners could use the land as a resource for financing urban transport projects. This could also be done on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. Bus terminals, bus stops and metro stations could also be taken up on the PPP mode. While it would reduce burden on the public exchequer, it would also bring in the best urban designs, space utilisation and private sector efficiencies into the system.

Hooda said since the towns in the neighbourhood of Delhi were becoming popular for people to settle down for residential and professional purposes, the state government was keen to improve the transport and communication facilities between these towns and Delhi. Describing the urban planners as key players in the process of urban development, he said it was expected of them to be sensitive to the emerging challenges in their field.

Gurgaon, February 10
Haryana Minister for Public Health, Excise and Taxation Kiran Choudhry has asserted that the smuggling and sale of illicit liquor in the state would be strictly dealt with. “A fool-proof strategy will soon be chalked out in coordination with the state Director-General of Police,” she said while talking to newspersons after a meeting with liquor contractors from different parts of the state here today.

Taking serious note of the contractors’ complaint regarding illegal sale of liquor near CSD canteens at the district headquarters across the state, the minister assured them that she would meet the Union Defence Minister and urge him to take effective steps to curb the practice.

To a query, she emphasised that making the functioning of the department online was among her topmost priorities as only online functioning could ensure transparency.

Exhorting the liquor contractors to come up with complaints about irregularities and suggestions to improve the functioning of the department, Choudhry announced that “complaint and suggestion” boxes would be placed at all district headquarters in the state for the purpose.

Contractors apprised the minister of their grievances, which mainly included illicit sale of liquor, illegal serving of alcoholic beverages by bar owners, sale of foreign liquor at country-made liquor vends and retail sale of liquor by wholesale dealers.

The contractors suggested that liquor sub-vends be opened in all villages, trials of liquor smuggling cases be held in courts instead of the Excise Department, only Haryana residents be allowed to apply for liquor vends and categories be abolished from the allotment process. They also demanded that more banks be identified for collection of excise duty.

Choudhry said all suggestions would be considered and the worthwhile ones incorporated in the state excise policy. Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary (Excise and Taxation) Ramendra Jakhu and state Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Rastogi were also present.

Karnal, February 10
Karnal district president of the BSP Krishan Kutel, a property dealer, allegedly entered a house in Sector 4 on the pretext of inspecting the property, which was on sale, and tried to rape a woman who was alone in the house.

The incident enraged the women of the locality who accompanied the victim to the office of the SP to lodge a complaint. Kutel was booked for attempt to rape under Sections 376 and 511 on the directions of SP Rakesh Arya. He was arrested late in the evening.

The neighbours and relatives of the victim thrashed Kutel on the premises of the city police station. The policemen on duty had to intervene to rescue him.

The state president of the BSP, Naresh Saran, when contacted, said the party would probe the matter thoroughly. Kutel, associated with the party for years, had been suspended over his “reprehensible act,” he added.

Kutel denied the allegations, saying it was a plot to malign him. He claimed that he had not even entered the house of the complainant. 

Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), February 10
The Bahadurgarh police claims to have busted an inter-state gang of thieves stealing luxury cars with the arrest of three of its members. The gang was operating in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The, SHO, Pradeep Khatri, talking to mediapersons here today, said much work had gone into busting the gang. At least 13 cars, including a Maruti SX4, Swift, Santro, Indica and Wagon R, had been seized, he said.

A case under various Sections of the IPC had been registered against the trio identified as Pritam, Krishan, alias Kala, of Bahadurgarh and Shabbu of Meerut (UP). Khatri said following a vital tipoff, “we started keeping an eye on Pritam and Krishan, besides gathering proof on their activities. We apprehended the two. During interrogation, they confessed to have been working in tandem with a gang selling stolen vehicles in Haryana, UP and Delhi.” The police later arrested Shabbu, alias Rashid, from Meerut and recovered several stolen vehicles, maintained the SHO. “The accused would buy accident vehicles covered under cashless insurance, from insurance companies. Thereafter, the stolen vehicles were sent to members of the Babbu and Shakeel gang in Meerut. The latter would use the documents and number plates of accident vehicles on the stolen vehicles.

“The registration, engine and chassis numbers of stolen vehicles were also changed after which the gang would sell the vehicles in UP, Haryana and Delhi without difficulty,” said Khatri.

Karnal, February 10
Upset over the “bickering” among the Jat community on the issue of reservation, the Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti has announced to convene a “Jat Ekta Sammelan” in New Delhi on February 20 to bring all sections of Jats on one platform to give an impetus to the ongoing agitation in support of its demand for reservation for the community.

Maintaining that reservation in jobs and educational institutions was crucial for the future of the children of Jats, the national president of the Sangharsh Samiti, Col OP Sandhu, demanded the implementation of the Gurnam Singh Commission report, providing for reservation for Jats in services at the Centre and states, and in educational institutes.

Claiming that 66 of the 81 castes in Haryana had already being given the benefit of reservation, he said the samiti would meet all the MPs on the eve of the Budget session of Parliament and all Haryana MLAs before the Budget session of the state Assembly, commencing on March 4, to convince them to raise the demand on the floor of the House.

Colonel Sandhu said it was unfortunate that Jats were being victimised in the Jat land and wondered what would be the fate of other backward communities.

Rohtak, February 10
The State Information Commission has summoned five senior officials of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam for their alleged failure to furnish information to an applicant under the Right to Information Act. The officials have been asked to submit their reply in person before the commission on April 19. The respondents have also been directed to furnish written comments with respect to the applicant’s appeal by March 30.

The orders have been issued by Chief Information Commissioner Meenakshi Anand Chaudhary in response to a complaint lodged by Subhash, convener of the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, engaged in work related to the field of information. He had complained that an application submitted by him in July last year had been overlooked and the department was adopting delaying tactics in the name of seeking additional fee from him for furnishing information.

The application had been submitted to the office of the Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Power Department, on July 12. However, the application was redirected to other offices of the department, and ultimately landed at the office of the UHBVN, Panchkula, and the DHBVN, Hisar.

While no information was provided to the applicant, the information officers of both the offices allegedly demanded extra fees for initiating further action.

According to Subhash, the information sought by him included the details regarding the authority engaged for the purchase of electric meters.